Analects 16.9 · Ji Shi
“Those who face hardship yet refuse to learn are the lowest of the people.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
困而不學 民斯爲下矣 (kùn ér bù xué, mín sī wéi xià yǐ) means “Those who face hardship yet refuse to learn are the lowest of the people.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 9.
困而不學 民斯爲下矣
- Pinyin
- kùn ér bù xué, mín sī wéi xià yǐ
- Translation
- Those who face hardship yet refuse to learn are the lowest of the people.
- Source
- Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 9
What does this passage mean?
Continuing the preceding sayings in the Ji Shi chapter, this passage gives the fourth and final category of learning. 困而不學 means facing hardship and difficulty yet refusing to learn. Confucius calls such a person 下, the lowest. It is no disgrace to lack natural talent or find the learning process difficult, provided one does not give up; but making no attempt to learn amid hardship is equivalent to abandoning oneself.
How can we apply it today?
The most dangerous moment in life is the moment we stop learning. Someone gives up preparing for a new job after being laid off, fears any new attempt after a business failure, or loses all resolve in the face of illness. We need learning and growth most when life is difficult, yet hardship can make us withdraw from learning. Adversity, however, can also be the time when we learn the most. Refusing to abandon learning in adversity is a final safeguard of human dignity.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Have I ever abandoned learning in difficult circumstances?
- ·Has adversity ever become an opportunity for growth?
- ·If I am in hardship now, what can I learn within it?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 困 | kùn | distressed | 7 | 囗 (enclosure) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 學 | xué | learn | 16 | 子 (child) |
| 民 | mín | the people | 5 | 氏 (clan) |
| 斯 | sī | this | 12 | 斤 (axe) |
| 爲 | wéi | become | 12 | 爪 (claw) |
| 下 | xià | below | 3 | 一 (one) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Those who face hardship yet refuse to learn…” mean?
困而不學 民斯爲下矣 (kùn ér bù xué, mín sī wéi xià yǐ) means “Those who face hardship yet refuse to learn are the lowest of the people.” It comes from the Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 9.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 16.9: Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 9.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
The most dangerous moment in life is the moment we stop learning.