The value of being sincere and selfless
Answers
A man of sincerity is also a man of selflessness.
The founder of the Yang-ming School (Youmeigaku) and the greatest Confucian since Mencius, Wang Yang-ming (Ouyoumei) said the following in his main work, Instructions for Practical Living (Densyuroku).
"When people's minds are natural, following the inevitable rule that heaven has made, they are simple and clear and it is selflessness itself which permits no artificiality and distinction. There shouldn't be any ego in our mind. If we have ego we will be arrogant. The eminence of ancient saints comes from their selflessness. Selflessness naturally brings modesty with it. This modesty is the root of all goodness and arrogance is the basis of all evils."
Thus, while selflessness is usually considered as the fundamental character of Buddhism, it is also the principal state of mind for Confucianism and Shinto. People are not able to display sincerity unless they have mastered true selflessness.