A disciple asks Confucius directly in the Analects what zhi means, and the answer given, devoting oneself to the duties owed to other people and showing reverence to spirits and gods while keeping them at a distance, may be called wisdom, is characteristically practical rather than speculative, oriented toward correctly ordering one's obligations and priorities rather than toward theoretical understanding of first principles, an emphasis that runs through the Confucian treatment of the term generally.
Zhi in this tradition is closely tied to the capacity for judgement, knowing which of the other constants a situation calls for and how to apply it, since ren, yi and li can each be misapplied without the discernment zhi supplies, a benevolent act performed at the wrong moment, or a rigid application of ritual form where compassion should instead take precedence; wisdom is what recognises the difference and adjusts accordingly rather than following any single virtue mechanically regardless of context. Mencius numbers zhi among the four sprouts innate to every person alongside ren, yi and li, locating its root in the human capacity to distinguish right from wrong, shi fei zhi xin, a discernment he holds everyone possesses in seed form and cultivation is meant to develop rather than instil from nothing.