Analects 20.2 · Yao Yue
“To execute without first teaching is called cruelty; to demand results without first giving warning is called tyranny; to be lax in giving orders and then strict about deadlines is called robbery.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
不教而殺謂之虐 不戒視成謂之暴 慢令致期謂之賊 (bù jiào ér shā wèi zhī nüè, bù jiè shì chéng wèi zhī bào, màn lìng zhì qī wèi zhī zéi) means “To execute without first teaching is called cruelty; to demand results without first giving warning is called tyranny; to be lax in giving orders and then strict about deadlines is called robbery.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 20 (Yao Yue), Chapter 2.
不教而殺謂之虐 不戒視成謂之暴 慢令致期謂之賊
- Pinyin
- bù jiào ér shā wèi zhī nüè, bù jiè shì chéng wèi zhī bào, màn lìng zhì qī wèi zhī zéi
- Translation
- To execute without first teaching is called cruelty; to demand results without first giving warning is called tyranny; to be lax in giving orders and then strict about deadlines is called robbery.
- Source
- Analects, Book 20 (Yao Yue), Chapter 2
What does this passage mean?
This is the first part of the four evils that Confucius names in the second chapter of Yao Yue, following the five excellences. To execute without first teaching is called cruelty; to demand results without first giving warning is called tyranny; and to be lax in giving orders and then strict about deadlines is called robbery. He goes on to name a fourth: to give what must be given anyway, but grudgingly, is the pettiness of a storekeeper. If the five excellences are the virtues a leader must have, the four evils are what a leader must never do. All of them arise when the one who governs fails to do their own part before holding the people responsible. Placed in the final book of the Analects, this list is its most concrete warning against the abuse of power.
How can we apply it today?
These three evils are repeated in organizations today: punishing mistakes without proper teaching, evaluating results without setting out the standards in advance, and giving vague instructions and then pressing on the deadline. Members treated this way are punished without knowing what they should have done. Confucius called this cruelty, tyranny, and robbery: strong words, but accurate. A leader’s first responsibility is not evaluation but teaching, setting standards, and giving clear instructions. Demanding results without these is not management but violence. Asking whether you have done your own part before evaluating anyone is how this passage is practiced.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Have you ever reproached someone without teaching them first?
- ·Have you ever judged results without setting out the standards in advance?
- ·Before evaluating someone, have you done everything you should have done first?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 教 | jiào | teach | 11 | 攴 (tap) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 殺 | shā | kill | 11 | 殳 (weapon) |
| 謂 | wèi | say; call | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 虐 | nüè | cruelty | 9 | 虍 (tiger) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 戒 | jiè | be vigilant | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
| 視 | shì | see | 11 | 見 (see) |
| 成 | chéng | accomplish | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
| 謂 | wèi | say; call | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 暴 | bào | tyranny; violence | 15 | 日 (sun) |
| 慢 | màn | lax; remiss | 14 | 心 (heart) |
| 令 | lìng | command | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 致 | zhì | attain | 10 | 至 (arrive) |
| 期 | qī | deadline | 12 | 月 (moon) |
| 謂 | wèi | say; call | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 賊 | zéi | harm; robbery | 13 | 貝 (shell) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “To execute without first teaching is called…” mean?
不教而殺謂之虐 不戒視成謂之暴 慢令致期謂之賊 (bù jiào ér shā wèi zhī nüè, bù jiè shì chéng wèi zhī bào, màn lìng zhì qī wèi zhī zéi) means “To execute without first teaching is called cruelty; to demand results without first giving warning is called tyranny; to be lax in giving orders and then strict about deadlines is called robbery.” It comes from the Analects, Book 20 (Yao Yue), Chapter 2.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 20.2: Book 20 (Yao Yue), Chapter 2.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
These three evils are repeated in organizations today: punishing mistakes without proper teaching, evaluating results without setting out the standards in advance, and giving vague instructions and then pressing on the deadline.