Analects 1.15 · Xue Er
“Be poor without flattery and wealthy without arrogance.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
貧而無諂 富而無驕 (pín ér wú chǎn, fù ér wú jiāo) means “Be poor without flattery and wealthy without arrogance.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 15.
貧而無諂 富而無驕
- Pinyin
- pín ér wú chǎn, fù ér wú jiāo
- Translation
- Be poor without flattery and wealthy without arrogance.
- Source
- Analects, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 15
What does this passage mean?
This passage records a conversation between Zigong and Confucius in the Xue Er chapter. The question is especially grounded because Zigong came from a prosperous merchant family. When Zigong asks, 'What do you think of being poor without flattering and wealthy without arrogance?' Confucius replies, 'That is good, but it is not as good as being poor yet joyful, or wealthy yet fond of ritual propriety.' He urges Zigong to move beyond the negative stage of merely refraining from vice to the positive stage of actively loving what is good.
How can we apply it today?
This passage carries renewed significance in a modern society marked by widening economic inequality. Refusing to become servile in poverty or arrogant in wealth is the baseline. Confucius, however, goes one step further: establish an inner center that economic circumstances cannot shake. Someone who remains the same after winning the lottery or losing a business is genuinely free.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Has my attitude changed when my financial circumstances changed?
- ·What values do I want to preserve whether I am poor or wealthy?
- ·Do I have an inner center that material conditions cannot shake?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 貧 | pín | poor | 11 | 貝 (shell) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 諂 | chǎn | flatter | 15 | 言 (speech) |
| 富 | fù | wealthy | 12 | 宀 (roof) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 驕 | jiāo | arrogant | 22 | 馬 (horse) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Be poor without flattery and wealthy…” mean?
貧而無諂 富而無驕 (pín ér wú chǎn, fù ér wú jiāo) means “Be poor without flattery and wealthy without arrogance.” It comes from the Analects, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 15.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 1.15: Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 15.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
This passage carries renewed significance in a modern society marked by widening economic inequality.Refusing to become servile in poverty or arrogant in wealth is the baseline.