Analects 6.19 · Yong Ye
“Human life rests on uprightness; those who live without it survive only by good fortune.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
人之生也直 罔之生也幸而免 (rén zhī shēng yě zhí, wǎng zhī shēng yě xìng ér miǎn) means “Human life rests on uprightness; those who live without it survive only by good fortune.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 19.
人之生也直 罔之生也幸而免
- Pinyin
- rén zhī shēng yě zhí, wǎng zhī shēng yě xìng ér miǎn
- Translation
- Human life rests on uprightness; those who live without it survive only by good fortune.
- Source
- Analects, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 19
What does this passage mean?
In the Yong Ye chapter, Confucius identifies the fundamental principle of human life. 直 means uprightness or honesty. Human life is grounded in honesty; those who live dishonestly survive only because, by luck, they have escaped disaster. 幸而免 means being fortunate enough to escape, and warns that a dishonest life is precarious and may collapse at any time. Confucius regarded honesty as the most basic condition of human existence.
How can we apply it today?
A lie may get us through a crisis briefly, but it buys only borrowed time. Fraudulent corporate accounting, fabricated credentials on a résumé, and deception in a relationship can cost us everything when discovered. Living honestly may seem disadvantageous in the short term, but over time it is the safest way to live. Dishonest success is a castle on sand that may collapse at any moment; an honest life, however modest, is a house built on rock.
Questions to reflect on
- ·How honestly do I live from day to day?
- ·Have small lies become a habit?
- ·If I have ever accepted a loss in order to remain honest, how did I feel at the time?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 生 | shēng | emerge | 5 | 生 (life) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 直 | zhí | upright | 8 | 目 (eye) |
| 罔 | wǎng | lack | 8 | 网 (net) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 生 | shēng | emerge | 5 | 生 (life) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 幸 | xìng | fortunate | 8 | 干 (dry) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 免 | miǎn | avoid | 7 | 儿 (legs) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Human life rests on uprightness; those who…” mean?
人之生也直 罔之生也幸而免 (rén zhī shēng yě zhí, wǎng zhī shēng yě xìng ér miǎn) means “Human life rests on uprightness; those who live without it survive only by good fortune.” It comes from the Analects, Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 19.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 6.19: Book 6 (Yong Ye), Chapter 19.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
A lie may get us through a crisis briefly, but it buys only borrowed time.