Analects 18.8 · Wei Zi
“I am different from these: for me there is nothing that must be done and nothing that must not.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
我則異於是 無可無不可 (wǒ zé yì yú shì, wú kě wú bù kě) means “I am different from these: for me there is nothing that must be done and nothing that must not.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 18 (Wei Zi), Chapter 8.
我則異於是 無可無不可
- Pinyin
- wǒ zé yì yú shì, wú kě wú bù kě
- Translation
- I am different from these: for me there is nothing that must be done and nothing that must not.
- Source
- Analects, Book 18 (Wei Zi), Chapter 8
What does this passage mean?
This passage comes from the eighth chapter of Wei Zi. Confucius assesses one by one seven worthies who withdrew from the world: Bo Yi, Shu Qi, Yu Zhong, Yi Yi, Zhu Zhang, Liuxia Hui, and Shao Lian. Having acknowledged each of their paths, those who never bent their will or disgraced themselves, those who bent their will but whose words and conduct fit the norm, and those who lived in hiding and spoke freely, he says that he himself is different: for him there is nothing that must be done and nothing that must not. This is not the absence of principle but the refusal to lock himself into a predetermined frame, choosing instead what is most right in each situation. Mencius called Confucius the sage of timeliness for this reason.
How can we apply it today?
A principle like ‘I will absolutely never live that way’ looks impressive, but it can become a prison. Never work for a big company, never compromise, never go back: such vows hold a person in place even after circumstances change. Confucius’s ‘nothing that must, nothing that must not’ is not a lack of principle but the flexibility of principle: keep what is essential, and adapt method and form to the situation. His life is the model, taking office when it was fitting and withdrawing when it was fitting. The person who asks what is most right in this situation, rather than reaching for a predetermined answer, turns out to be the most consistent of all.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Is there an ‘absolutely’ you have set for yourself that now imprisons you?
- ·Do you distinguish between core principles and methods that can change?
- ·Have you clung to an old decision even after circumstances changed?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | 7 | 戈 (halberd) |
| 則 | zé | then; immediately | 9 | 刀 (knife) |
| 異 | yì | different; heterodox | 11 | 田 (field) |
| 於 | yú | at; in | 8 | 方 (square) |
| 是 | shì | this | 9 | 日 (sun) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
| 無 | wú | lack | 12 | 火 (fire) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “I am different from these: for me there is…” mean?
我則異於是 無可無不可 (wǒ zé yì yú shì, wú kě wú bù kě) means “I am different from these: for me there is nothing that must be done and nothing that must not.” It comes from the Analects, Book 18 (Wei Zi), Chapter 8.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 18.8: Book 18 (Wei Zi), Chapter 8.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
A principle like ‘I will absolutely never live that way’ looks impressive, but it can become a prison.