Analects 1.7 · Xue Er
“Value the worthy above physical beauty; devote your full strength to serving your parents and your whole self to serving your ruler; in dealings with friends, be true to your word.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
賢賢易色 事父母能竭其力 事君能致其身 與朋友交言而有信 (xián xián yì sè, shì fù mǔ néng jié qí lì, shì jūn néng zhì qí shēn, yǔ péng yǒu jiāo yán ér yǒu xìn) means “Value the worthy above physical beauty; devote your full strength to serving your parents and your whole self to serving your ruler; in dealings with friends, be true to your word.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 7.
賢賢易色 事父母能竭其力 事君能致其身 與朋友交言而有信
- Pinyin
- xián xián yì sè, shì fù mǔ néng jié qí lì, shì jūn néng zhì qí shēn, yǔ péng yǒu jiāo yán ér yǒu xìn
- Translation
- Value the worthy above physical beauty; devote your full strength to serving your parents and your whole self to serving your ruler; in dealings with friends, be true to your word.
- Source
- Analects, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 7
What does this passage mean?
This passage comes from Confucius's disciple Zixia. 賢賢易色 means to esteem worthy people with the same intensity with which one is naturally drawn to physical beauty; in other words, to respect and follow people of virtue sincerely. Zixia urges us to redirect instinctive passion for beauty into reverence for the worthy. 事父母能竭其力 means devoting all one's strength to serving one's parents, and 與朋友交言而有信 means being trustworthy in what one says among friends. Zixia concludes that anyone who embodies these four qualities deserves to be called learned, even if others say that person has received no formal education.
How can we apply it today?
In a modern world where degrees and credentials can seem to determine a person's worth, Zixia tells us that true learning lies not in qualifications but in how we live. It means offering one's parents heartfelt dedication rather than a perfunctory greeting, keeping one's word to friends even in seemingly trivial matters, and humbly seeking to learn when one meets someone worthy of respect. A person with these attitudes will naturally earn the regard of others, even without a prestigious university degree.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Do I sincerely try to learn from the people I respect?
- ·Do I give my parents my whole heart rather than merely observing the forms of filial devotion?
- ·What way of living would allow someone to be called 'truly learned' even without degrees or certificates?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 賢 | xián | worthy; virtuous | 15 | 貝 (shell) |
| 賢 | xián | worthy; virtuous | 15 | 貝 (shell) |
| 易 | yì | change | 8 | 日 (sun) |
| 色 | sè | color; countenance | 6 | 色 (color) |
| 事 | shì | serve | 8 | 亅 (hook) |
| 父 | fù | father | 4 | 父 (father) |
| 母 | mǔ | mother | 5 | 毋 (do not) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 竭 | jié | exhaust | 14 | 立 (stand) |
| 其 | qí | that; he | 8 | 八 (eight) |
| 力 | lì | strength | 2 | 力 (power) |
| 事 | shì | serve | 8 | 亅 (hook) |
| 君 | jūn | ruler | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 致 | zhì | attain | 10 | 至 (arrive) |
| 其 | qí | that; he | 8 | 八 (eight) |
| 身 | shēn | body | 7 | 身 (body) |
| 與 | yǔ | together with | 14 | 臼 (mortar) |
| 朋 | péng | friend | 8 | 月 (moon) |
| 友 | yǒu | friend | 4 | 又 (again) |
| 交 | jiāo | associate with | 6 | 亠 (lid) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 有 | yǒu | exist | 6 | 月 (moon) |
| 信 | xìn | trust | 9 | 人 (person) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Value the worthy above physical beauty…” mean?
賢賢易色 事父母能竭其力 事君能致其身 與朋友交言而有信 (xián xián yì sè, shì fù mǔ néng jié qí lì, shì jūn néng zhì qí shēn, yǔ péng yǒu jiāo yán ér yǒu xìn) means “Value the worthy above physical beauty; devote your full strength to serving your parents and your whole self to serving your ruler; in dealings with friends, be true to your word.” It comes from the Analects, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 7.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 1.7: Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 7.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
In a modern world where degrees and credentials can seem to determine a person's worth, Zixia tells us that true learning lies not in qualifications but in how we live.