Analects 7.31 · Shu Er
“How fortunate I am! If I make a mistake, people are sure to let me know.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
丘也幸 苟有過 人必知之 (qiū yě xìng, gǒu yǒu guò, rén bì zhī zhī) means “How fortunate I am! If I make a mistake, people are sure to let me know.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 7 (Shu Er), Chapter 31.
丘也幸 苟有過 人必知之
- Pinyin
- qiū yě xìng, gǒu yǒu guò, rén bì zhī zhī
- Translation
- How fortunate I am! If I make a mistake, people are sure to let me know.
- Source
- Analects, Book 7 (Shu Er), Chapter 31
What does this passage mean?
The background of the thirty-first chapter of Shu Er is this. An official of Chen asked whether Duke Zhao of Lu had understood ritual propriety, and Confucius, shielding his own ruler, answered that he had. But Duke Zhao had violated propriety by marrying a woman of the same clan name. When the official pointed this out, Confucius offered no excuse but said these words. Qiu was Confucius’s personal name: how fortunate I am, for when I make a mistake, people are sure to point it out. Receiving correction not as a humiliation but as good fortune is the attitude that shows why Confucius was a teacher.
How can we apply it today?
When corrected, most of us go on the defensive first. Our faces flush, we suspect the other person’s motives, and we search for a rebuttal. Confucius instead called it good fortune, because having someone to point out your mistake means there is still a chance to fix it. Around those who welcome correction, honest advice gathers; around those who resent it, only silence and flattery remain. How a person receives feedback decides the speed of their growth. Anyone who can remember the day they were corrected as a fortunate day rather than a bad one will keep improving.
Questions to reflect on
- ·How did you react the last time someone pointed out your mistake?
- ·Is there someone who tells you your faults honestly?
- ·Have you ever regarded correction as good fortune?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 丘 | qiū | hill | 5 | 一 (one) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 幸 | xìng | fortunate | 8 | 干 (dry) |
| 苟 | gǒu | truly | 8 | 艸 (grass) |
| 有 | yǒu | exist | 6 | 月 (moon) |
| 過 | guò | fault | 12 | 辵 (walk) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 知 | zhī | know | 8 | 矢 (arrow) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “How fortunate I am! If I make a mistake…” mean?
丘也幸 苟有過 人必知之 (qiū yě xìng, gǒu yǒu guò, rén bì zhī zhī) means “How fortunate I am! If I make a mistake, people are sure to let me know.” It comes from the Analects, Book 7 (Shu Er), Chapter 31.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 7.31: Book 7 (Shu Er), Chapter 31.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
When corrected, most of us go on the defensive first.Our faces flush, we suspect the other person’s motives, and we search for a rebuttal.