Analects 12.19 · Yan Yuan
“The virtue of the exemplary person is like wind; the character of ordinary people is like grass. When wind passes over grass, the grass must bend.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
君子之德風 小人之德草 草上之風必偃 (jūn zǐ zhī dé fēng, xiǎo rén zhī dé cǎo, cǎo shàng zhī fēng bì yǎn) means “The virtue of the exemplary person is like wind; the character of ordinary people is like grass. When wind passes over grass, the grass must bend.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 19.
君子之德風 小人之德草 草上之風必偃
- Pinyin
- jūn zǐ zhī dé fēng, xiǎo rén zhī dé cǎo, cǎo shàng zhī fēng bì yǎn
- Translation
- The virtue of the exemplary person is like wind; the character of ordinary people is like grass. When wind passes over grass, the grass must bend.
- Source
- Analects, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 19
What does this passage mean?
In the Yan Yuan chapter, Confucius gives this answer when Ji Kangzi asks about government. Comparing the virtue of an exemplary person to the wind and that of the common people to grass is a powerful metaphor for the breadth of a ruler's influence. 偃 means to lie down or bend over. Just as grass naturally bends before the wind, the people are naturally transformed by a leader's virtue. Confucius firmly believed that a leader's personal example—not laws and punishments—was the true means of moral education.
How can we apply it today?
Organizational culture is created not by rules but by a leader's conduct. If the CEO works late, employees work late; if the team leader values communication, the whole team develops a culture of communication. When parents read, children read; when parents are absorbed in their phones, children follow. If we want to change others, we must change ourselves first. It takes less time than we might expect for one good habit of a leader to spread throughout an organization.
Questions to reflect on
- ·How does my conduct influence those around me?
- ·Whose behavior gave rise to the culture of my organization?
- ·In what direction do I want to blow like the wind?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 君 | jūn | ruler | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 子 | zǐ | son | 3 | 子 (child) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 德 | dé | virtue | 15 | 彳 (step) |
| 風 | fēng | wind | 9 | 風 (wind) |
| 小 | xiǎo | small | 3 | 小 (small) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 德 | dé | virtue | 15 | 彳 (step) |
| 草 | cǎo | grass | 9 | 艸 (grass) |
| 草 | cǎo | grass | 9 | 艸 (grass) |
| 上 | shàng | above | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 風 | fēng | wind | 9 | 風 (wind) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 偃 | yǎn | lie down | 11 | 人 (person) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The virtue of the exemplary person is like…” mean?
君子之德風 小人之德草 草上之風必偃 (jūn zǐ zhī dé fēng, xiǎo rén zhī dé cǎo, cǎo shàng zhī fēng bì yǎn) means “The virtue of the exemplary person is like wind; the character of ordinary people is like grass. When wind passes over grass, the grass must bend.” It comes from the Analects, Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 19.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 12.19: Book 12 (Yan Yuan), Chapter 19.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Organizational culture is created not by rules but by a leader's conduct.