Analects 6.12 · Yong Ye
“Those whose strength is insufficient stop midway; you are now drawing the line for yourself.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
力不足者 中道而廢 今女畫 (lì bù zú zhě, zhōng dào ér fèi, jīn rǔ huà) means “Those whose strength is insufficient stop midway; you are now drawing the line for yourself.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 12.
力不足者 中道而廢 今女畫
- Pinyin
- lì bù zú zhě, zhōng dào ér fèi, jīn rǔ huà
- Translation
- Those whose strength is insufficient stop midway; you are now drawing the line for yourself.
- Source
- Analects, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 12
What does this passage mean?
In the Yong Ye chapter, Confucius says this to his disciple Ran Qiu. When Ran Qiu tells him, 'It is not that I do not delight in your Way, Master; I lack the strength,' Confucius rebukes him: 'Those whose strength truly fails stop midway along the road. You are drawing the boundary yourself.' 畫 means drawing a line or setting a limit, and here refers to giving up before even trying. Confucius sharply distinguishes a real limitation from a self-imposed one.
How can we apply it today?
Some people habitually say, 'I can't do it' or 'That is beyond me.' In most cases, however, the problem is not a true lack of ability but setting one's own limit and never even making the attempt. Giving up at the thirtieth kilometer of a marathon may mean one's strength failed; declaring the race impossible without ever reaching the starting line is self-justification. Trying and failing is fundamentally different from never trying at all.
Questions to reflect on
- ·What have I abandoned before even trying?
- ·Could 'I do not have the strength' actually be a disguise for 'I do not want to do it'?
- ·Have I ever crossed a limit that I had drawn for myself?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 力 | lì | strength | 2 | 力 (power) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 足 | zú | ample | 7 | 足 (foot) |
| 者 | zhě | one; thing | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 中 | zhōng | middle | 4 | 丨 (line) |
| 道 | dào | the Way; road | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 廢 | fèi | abolish | 15 | 广 (dotted cliff) |
| 今 | jīn | now | 4 | 人 (person) |
| 女 | rǔ | you | 3 | 女 (woman) |
| 畫 | huà | draw a line | 12 | 田 (field) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Those whose strength is insufficient stop…” mean?
力不足者 中道而廢 今女畫 (lì bù zú zhě, zhōng dào ér fèi, jīn rǔ huà) means “Those whose strength is insufficient stop midway; you are now drawing the line for yourself.” It comes from the Analects, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 12.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 6.12: Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 12.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Some people habitually say, 'I can't do it' or 'That is beyond me.' In most cases, however, the problem is not a true lack of ability but setting one's own limit and never even making the attempt.