Analects 8.14 · Tai Bo
“If you do not hold a position, do not plan the affairs of that office.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
不在其位 不謀其政 (bù zài qí wèi, bù móu qí zhèng) means “If you do not hold a position, do not plan the affairs of that office.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 14.
不在其位 不謀其政
- Pinyin
- bù zài qí wèi, bù móu qí zhèng
- Translation
- If you do not hold a position, do not plan the affairs of that office.
- Source
- Analects, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 14
What does this passage mean?
Appearing in both Tai Bo and Xian Wen, this passage uses position to mean an assigned office and planning to mean directing its affairs. It warns against interfering in work for which one is not responsible. Alongside the restraint of staying within proper bounds, it carries the positive duty to do one’s best where one actually stands. In Confucius’s time, disorder often followed when feudal lords intruded into one another’s domains.
How can we apply it today?
Boundaries of role and responsibility matter in a modern organization as well. Interfering in another person’s work creates conflict and distracts us from our own. This should not become the excuse “It is not my job, so I do not care.” Concentrating on one’s role and offering help when genuinely needed are compatible. The central values are expertise and responsibility within one’s sphere.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Do you tend to interfere excessively in other people’s work?
- ·Are you focused on your own role?
- ·Do you know how to cooperate while respecting the boundaries of responsibility?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 在 | zài | exist | 6 | 土 (earth) |
| 其 | qí | that; he | 8 | 八 (eight) |
| 位 | wèi | position | 7 | 人 (person) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 謀 | móu | plot | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 其 | qí | that; he | 8 | 八 (eight) |
| 政 | zhèng | governance | 9 | 攴 (tap) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “If you do not hold a position, do not plan…” mean?
不在其位 不謀其政 (bù zài qí wèi, bù móu qí zhèng) means “If you do not hold a position, do not plan the affairs of that office.” It comes from the Analects, Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 14.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 8.14: Book 8 (Tai Bo), Chapter 14.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Boundaries of role and responsibility matter in a modern organization as well.Interfering in another person’s work creates conflict and distracts us from our own.