Analects 2.14 · Wei Zheng
“The exemplary person is inclusive without being partisan; the petty person is partisan without being inclusive.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
君子周而不比 小人比而不周 (jūn zǐ zhōu ér bù bǐ, xiǎo rén bǐ ér bù zhōu) means “The exemplary person is inclusive without being partisan; the petty person is partisan without being inclusive.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 14.
君子周而不比 小人比而不周
- Pinyin
- jūn zǐ zhōu ér bù bǐ, xiǎo rén bǐ ér bù zhōu
- Translation
- The exemplary person is inclusive without being partisan; the petty person is partisan without being inclusive.
- Source
- Analects, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 14
What does this passage mean?
In Wei Zheng, being inclusive means associating broadly and treating people fairly, while being partisan means forming a faction and leaning to one side. The exemplary person deals fairly with everyone without creating a clique; the petty person protects only an in-group and cannot associate broadly. Like harmony without conformity, this is a principle of healthy relationships.
How can we apply it today?
School cliques, workplace factions, and polarized camps reveal the continuing problem of partisanship without inclusion. Protecting only one’s own side while rejecting everyone else eventually narrows one’s world. The modern practice of inclusion without partisanship is to engage openly with varied people while preserving sound principles.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Are you unconsciously confined to one group?
- ·Do you engage with a variety of people?
- ·Do you maintain fairness instead of dividing everyone into sides?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 君 | jūn | ruler | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 子 | zǐ | son | 3 | 子 (child) |
| 周 | zhōu | all around | 8 | 口 (mouth) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 比 | bǐ | form a faction | 4 | 比 (compare) |
| 小 | xiǎo | small | 3 | 小 (small) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 比 | bǐ | form a faction | 4 | 比 (compare) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 周 | zhōu | all around | 8 | 口 (mouth) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The exemplary person is inclusive without…” mean?
君子周而不比 小人比而不周 (jūn zǐ zhōu ér bù bǐ, xiǎo rén bǐ ér bù zhōu) means “The exemplary person is inclusive without being partisan; the petty person is partisan without being inclusive.” It comes from the Analects, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 14.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 2.14: Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 14.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
School cliques, workplace factions, and polarized camps reveal the continuing problem of partisanship without inclusion.