Analects 17.13 · Yang Huo
“The self-righteous village conformist is a thief of virtue.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
鄉原 德之賊也 (xiāng yuán, dé zhī zéi yě) means “The self-righteous village conformist is a thief of virtue.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 13.
鄉原 德之賊也
- Pinyin
- xiāng yuán, dé zhī zéi yě
- Translation
- The self-righteous village conformist is a thief of virtue.
- Source
- Analects, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 13
What does this passage mean?
In this passage from the Yang Huo chapter, 鄉原 means someone praised by everyone in the village: a hypocrite who presents an agreeable face to all and refuses to distinguish right from wrong. 德之賊 means a thief of virtue—one who steals virtue's appearance. Mencius explains the type more fully: the village worthy looks faithful outwardly but possesses no principle at all. This was the kind of person Confucius detested most.
How can we apply it today?
Trying to be good in everyone's eyes may actually mean being truthful to no one. Consider the person at work who takes every side, always claims neutrality in a conflict, and agrees with everyone. Such people may receive favorable evaluations for a time, but cannot be relied upon when it matters. Kindness without principle is dangerous. Sometimes true virtue requires saying what is right despite the risk of being disliked.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Am I trying to be liked by everyone?
- ·Have I ever adapted to the mood around me without regard for principle?
- ·Can I distinguish genuine goodwill from hypocritical niceness?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鄉 | xiāng | countryside | 13 | 邑 (city) |
| 原 | yuán | source | 10 | 厂 (cliff) |
| 德 | dé | virtue | 15 | 彳 (step) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 賊 | zéi | robber | 13 | 貝 (shell) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “The self-righteous village conformist is a…” mean?
鄉原 德之賊也 (xiāng yuán, dé zhī zéi yě) means “The self-righteous village conformist is a thief of virtue.” It comes from the Analects, Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 13.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 17.13: Book 17 (Yang Huo), Chapter 13.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Trying to be good in everyone's eyes may actually mean being truthful to no one.Consider the person at work who takes every side, always claims neutrality in a conflict, and agrees with everyone.