Analects 4.10 · Li Ren
“In dealing with the world, the exemplary person is neither rigidly for nor against anything, but follows what is right.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
君子之於天下也 無適也 無莫也 義之與比 (jūn zǐ zhī yú tiān xià yě, wú shì yě, wú mò yě, yì zhī yǔ bǐ) means “In dealing with the world, the exemplary person is neither rigidly for nor against anything, but follows what is right.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 10.
君子之於天下也 無適也 無莫也 義之與比
- Pinyin
- jūn zǐ zhī yú tiān xià yě, wú shì yě, wú mò yě, yì zhī yǔ bǐ
- Translation
- In dealing with the world, the exemplary person is neither rigidly for nor against anything, but follows what is right.
- Source
- Analects, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 10
What does this passage mean?
This passage from the Li Ren chapter explains the exemplary person's standard of judgment. 無適 means holding no fixed assumption that something must be done, while 無莫 means harboring no prejudice that something must not be done. 義之與比 means taking what is right as the sole standard. Confucius says that an exemplary person should not be captive to preconceptions or bias, but should judge each situation flexibly according to righteousness. This is not opportunism without principle, but flexibility governed by the highest principle of what is right.
How can we apply it today?
In an age rife with black-and-white thinking and factional loyalty, this passage offers an important lesson. Confucius warns against reasoning that says, 'It must be right because our side did it,' or 'It must be wrong because their side did it.' A true exemplary person judges by what is right and just in each situation, not by ideology or affiliation. A good leader asks not, 'How have we always done this?' but, 'What is right in the present circumstances?'
Questions to reflect on
- ·Am I trapped within a particular position or faction?
- ·Do I judge flexibly while using what is right as my standard?
- ·What fixed assumptions do I hold that say, 'It absolutely must be this way,' or, 'It must never be that way'?
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) |
| 於 | yú | at; in | 8 | 方 (square) |
| 天 | tiān | heaven | 4 | 大 (big) |
| 下 | xià | below | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 適 | shì | go; accord with | 14 | 辵 (walk) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 莫 | mò | lack | 11 | 艸 (grass) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 義 | yì | right | 13 | 羊 (sheep) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 與 | yǔ | together with | 14 | 臼 (mortar) |
| 比 | bǐ | compare | 4 | 比 (compare) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “In dealing with the world, the exemplary…” mean?
君子之於天下也 無適也 無莫也 義之與比 (jūn zǐ zhī yú tiān xià yě, wú shì yě, wú mò yě, yì zhī yǔ bǐ) means “In dealing with the world, the exemplary person is neither rigidly for nor against anything, but follows what is right.” It comes from the Analects, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 10.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 4.10: Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 10.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
In an age rife with black-and-white thinking and factional loyalty, this passage offers an important lesson.