Analects 17.6 · Yang Huo
“Respectfulness, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, and kindness: practice these five everywhere, and you realize humaneness.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
恭寬信敏惠 能行五者於天下 爲仁矣 (gōng kuān xìn mǐn huì, néng xíng wǔ zhě yú tiān xià, wéi rén yǐ) means “Respectfulness, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, and kindness: practice these five everywhere, and you realize humaneness.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 6.
恭寬信敏惠 能行五者於天下 爲仁矣
- Pinyin
- gōng kuān xìn mǐn huì, néng xíng wǔ zhě yú tiān xià, wéi rén yǐ
- Translation
- Respectfulness, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, and kindness: practice these five everywhere, and you realize humaneness.
- Source
- Analects, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 6
What does this passage mean?
In Yang Huo, Confucius names five elements of humaneness: respectfulness, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, and kindness. He gave this answer when Zizhang asked about humaneness. Confucius continued by explaining the effect of each: respect avoids insult, generosity wins people, trust earns responsibility, diligence creates achievement, and kindness enables leadership.
How can we apply it today?
Confucius identified five elements of leadership twenty-five centuries ago: respect, inclusion, trust, execution, and care. Modern leadership theory still emphasizes the same qualities. No one embodies all five perfectly, but deliberate practice of them can improve both relationships and results.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Among respectfulness, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, and kindness, which is your greatest strength and which your weakness?
- ·How can you practice all five in daily life?
- ·Which of them is most evident in someone you admire?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 恭 | gōng | courteous | 10 | 心 (heart) |
| 寬 | kuān | generous | 15 | 宀 (roof) |
| 信 | xìn | trust | 9 | 人 (person) |
| 敏 | mǐn | quick | 11 | 攴 (tap) |
| 惠 | huì | kindness | 12 | 心 (heart) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 行 | xíng | practice | 6 | 行 (walk) |
| 五 | wǔ | five | 4 | 二 (two) |
| 者 | zhě | thing; one who | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 於 | yú | at; in | 8 | 方 (square) |
| 天 | tiān | heaven | 4 | 大 (big) |
| 下 | xià | below | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 爲 | wéi | become | 12 | 爪 (claw) |
| 仁 | rén | benevolent | 4 | 人 (person) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Respectfulness, generosity…” mean?
恭寬信敏惠 能行五者於天下 爲仁矣 (gōng kuān xìn mǐn huì, néng xíng wǔ zhě yú tiān xià, wéi rén yǐ) means “Respectfulness, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, and kindness: practice these five everywhere, and you realize humaneness.” It comes from the Analects, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 6.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 17.6: Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 6.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Confucius identified five elements of leadership twenty-five centuries ago: respect, inclusion, trust, execution, and care.Modern leadership theory still emphasizes the same qualities.