Analects 12.16 · Yan Yuan
“The exemplary person helps others bring their good qualities to fulfillment, not their bad ones.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
君子成人之美 不成人之惡 (jūn zǐ chéng rén zhī měi, bù chéng rén zhī è) means “The exemplary person helps others bring their good qualities to fulfillment, not their bad ones.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 16.
君子成人之美 不成人之惡
- Pinyin
- jūn zǐ chéng rén zhī měi, bù chéng rén zhī è
- Translation
- The exemplary person helps others bring their good qualities to fulfillment, not their bad ones.
- Source
- Analects, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 16
What does this passage mean?
In this passage from Yan Yuan, helping to fulfill means supporting and enabling another person. The exemplary person helps others develop what is good in them and does not encourage what is bad. By contrast, the petty person encourages others’ faults and envies their strengths. The saying shows how our treatment of others reveals our character. The ability to celebrate another person’s success sincerely is a measure of moral maturity.
How can we apply it today?
Social media can make envy of another person’s success easier than celebration. Feeling privately unsettled by a colleague’s promotion may be a natural response, but stopping there follows the petty path. Acknowledge and develop the strengths of others; when they make a mistake, help rather than expose them. This way of treating people eventually elevates our own character as well.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Can you sincerely celebrate another person’s success?
- ·Have you discussed someone’s mistake behind that person’s back?
- ·Do you help the people around you develop what is best in them?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 君 | jūn | ruler | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 子 | zǐ | son | 3 | 子 (child) |
| 成 | chéng | accomplish | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 之 | zhī | possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 美 | měi | beautiful | 9 | 羊 (sheep) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 成 | chéng | accomplish | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 之 | zhī | possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 惡 | è | evil | 12 | 心 (heart) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The exemplary person helps others bring…” mean?
君子成人之美 不成人之惡 (jūn zǐ chéng rén zhī měi, bù chéng rén zhī è) means “The exemplary person helps others bring their good qualities to fulfillment, not their bad ones.” It comes from the Analects, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 16.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 12.16: Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 16.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Social media can make envy of another person’s success easier than celebration.