Analects 4.3 · Li Ren
“Only the humane can truly love people and truly dislike people.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
唯仁者能好人 能惡人 (wéi rén zhě néng hào rén, néng wù rén) means “Only the humane can truly love people and truly dislike people.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 3.
唯仁者能好人 能惡人
- Pinyin
- wéi rén zhě néng hào rén, néng wù rén
- Translation
- Only the humane can truly love people and truly dislike people.
- Source
- Analects, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 3
What does this passage mean?
This passage from the Li Ren chapter explains how humaneness relates to judgment. 好人 means liking people rightly, while 惡人 means disliking people rightly. Only someone who possesses humaneness can evaluate others impartially, without self-interest. Both approval and disapproval must rest on moral principle rather than personal advantage. This is Confucius's proper standard for likes and dislikes, and the basis of sound judgment undistorted by emotion.
How can we apply it today?
We often judge people according to personal preference. Someone who treats us well is a good person, while someone who makes us uncomfortable is bad. That is not sound judgment. A genuinely humane person evaluates others according to what is right, not private feeling. In the workplace, assessing someone by ability and character rather than personal friendship is precisely the kind of 'proper liking and disliking' described here.
Questions to reflect on
- ·What standards do I apply when I like or dislike someone?
- ·Can I judge according to what is right rather than according to personal feeling?
- ·Do I have the courage to dislike what truly deserves disapproval?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 唯 | wéi | only | 11 | 口 (mouth) |
| 仁 | rén | benevolent | 4 | 人 (person) |
| 者 | zhě | one; thing | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 好 | hào | delight in | 6 | 女 (woman) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 惡 | wù | hate | 12 | 心 (heart) |
| 人 | rén | person | 2 | 人 (person) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Only the humane can truly love people and…” mean?
唯仁者能好人 能惡人 (wéi rén zhě néng hào rén, néng wù rén) means “Only the humane can truly love people and truly dislike people.” It comes from the Analects, Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 3.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 4.3: Book 4 (Li Ren), Chapter 3.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
We often judge people according to personal preference.Someone who treats us well is a good person, while someone who makes us uncomfortable is bad.That is not sound judgment.