A famous saying credited to ancient Chinese philosopher Zengzi, a disciple of Confucius, which summons people to mind their personal conduct, has regained its popularity among addicts of Twitter-like micro-blogging websites.

"Each day I examine myself in three ways," Zengzi is quoted as saying in "The Analects of Confucius," a classic book of wise expressions from Confucius and his key disciples compiled more than 2,000 years ago.

"In doing things for others, have I been disloyal?" the quote continues. "In my interactions with friends, have I been untrustworthy? Have not practiced what I have preached?"

Now the expression has been developed into fashionable online language, repeatedly referred to by more than 300,000 users of Weibo, China's most popular micro-blogging site at sina.com, according to the latest figures.

The "Three Reflective Style," as the rhetoric has come to be known, sees netizens both imitating the triplet of questions and more broadly self analyzing their behavior. Ancient philosophy seems to have found a natural home on micro-blogging sites, whose members typically use them for diary-style entries.

"Are you handsome? Are you rich? Are you high? If not, keep trying with more down-to-earth efforts," one micro-blogger wrote in the style.

Others have reflected on themselves, twittering lines like "I was not satisfied about what I did today," or "My impoliteness disappointed friends today."

Micro-blogger "Xu Yidong-Ni" applied his own take on the philosophy -- "One needs to face one's own weaknesses and adapt oneself to society. Stop complaining."

Many believe the online twittering habit brings ancient thinking into the modern world, and by writing reflectively, people are turning to themselves to overcome hardship and face reality instead of blaming others.

A netizen with the screen name "Wei Bin at Qingzhi Training Department" said that writing in the "Three Reflective Style" helped him find a criteria to examine himself, and realize the glamour in traditional Chinese culture.

"Although many netizens used the writing style in a joking way, they are still influenced and enlightened by the ancient wisdom," he noted.

Liu Meng, a freshman from Nanchang University in east China's Jiangxi province, wrote, "Though there are always bad things in life, one should spend each day with an optimistic and active attitude."

His "Three Reflective Style" micro-blog inspired his peers as he warned them not to waste their university years.

Wang Debao, a professor at the university, says the self-evaluating spirit embodied in Zengzi's quote makes ancient philosophy worth following in today's world. It can help people keep their personal conduct in line with the fundamental virtues required of a good citizen, Wang believes.

A netizen using the screen name "Sophisticated Yang Yuting" agreed with the professor on the value of self-reflection, writing, "Regardless of their positions, people should always reflect so as to improve themselves."

She said she had quarreled with her father by phone due to a misunderstanding. But after hanging up, diary-writing refreshed her mind, and she felt guilty and called her father to apologize.

"If people examine themselves often, they would understand each other more," according to the post from "Sophisticated Yang Yuting."