Analects 19.9 · Zi Zhang
“The exemplary person appears in three ways: seen from afar, solemn; approached, warm; heard, exacting.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
君子有三變 望之儼然 卽之也溫 聽其言也厲 (jūn zǐ yǒu sān biàn, wàng zhī yǎn rán, jí zhī yě wēn, tīng qí yán yě lì) means “The exemplary person appears in three ways: seen from afar, solemn; approached, warm; heard, exacting.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 19 (Zi Zhang), Chapter 9.
君子有三變 望之儼然 卽之也溫 聽其言也厲
- Pinyin
- jūn zǐ yǒu sān biàn, wàng zhī yǎn rán, jí zhī yě wēn, tīng qí yán yě lì
- Translation
- The exemplary person appears in three ways: seen from afar, solemn; approached, warm; heard, exacting.
- Source
- Analects, Book 19 (Zi Zhang), Chapter 9
What does this passage mean?
In the ninth chapter of Zi Zhang, Zixia describes the exemplary person in three aspects: seen from afar, solemn; approached, warm; and heard, exacting. The ‘three changes’ do not mean the exemplary person is fickle, but that different aspects appear depending on distance and situation. Outwardly there is a dignity that makes casual approach difficult, yet up close there is warmth, and the words are without looseness. It is the same character that the disciples recorded in Shu Er, gentle yet stern, dignified yet not fierce, now drawn again through the eyes of Zixia.
How can we apply it today?
Here is the image of a good adult: someone with a dignity that cannot be treated lightly, who is nonetheless easy to be with up close, and whose words are precise and undisorderly. These three usually do not go together. The dignified are cold, the warm are taken lightly, and the exacting are stiff. The exemplary person Zixia describes can bring out whichever aspect the situation requires: exacting in a meeting, warm in a one-on-one conversation, dignified before the organization. This is not swapping masks but a single character showing itself as the situation demands. It is worth asking what people feel when they see you from afar, up close, and in your words.
Questions to reflect on
- ·What do people feel when they see you from afar, up close, and when they hear you speak?
- ·Which of the three aspects do you most lack?
- ·Do you know someone who combines dignity with warmth?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 君 | jūn | ruler | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 子 | zǐ | son | 3 | 子 (child) |
| 有 | yǒu | exist | 6 | 月 (moon) |
| 三 | sān | three | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 變 | biàn | change | 23 | 言 (speech) |
| 望 | wàng | look at from afar | 11 | 月 (moon) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 儼 | yǎn | dignified | 22 | 人 (person) |
| 然 | rán | so | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 卽 | jí | approach | 9 | 卩 (seal) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 溫 | wēn | warm | 13 | 水 (water) |
| 聽 | tīng | hear | 22 | 耳 (ear) |
| 其 | qí | that; he | 8 | 八 (eight) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 厲 | lì | stern | 15 | 厂 (cliff) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The exemplary person appears in three ways…” mean?
君子有三變 望之儼然 卽之也溫 聽其言也厲 (jūn zǐ yǒu sān biàn, wàng zhī yǎn rán, jí zhī yě wēn, tīng qí yán yě lì) means “The exemplary person appears in three ways: seen from afar, solemn; approached, warm; heard, exacting.” It comes from the Analects, Book 19 (Zi Zhang), Chapter 9.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 19.9: Book 19 (Zi Zhang), Chapter 9.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Here is the image of a good adult: someone with a dignity that cannot be treated lightly, who is nonetheless easy to be with up close, and whose words are precise and undisorderly.