Analects 1.13 · Xue Er
“When promises accord with righteousness, one’s word can be kept; when respectfulness accords with ritual propriety, shame and disgrace remain distant.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
信近於義 言可復也 恭近於禮 遠恥辱也 (xìn jìn yú yì, yán kě fù yě, gōng jìn yú lǐ, yuǎn chǐ rǔ yě) means “When promises accord with righteousness, one’s word can be kept; when respectfulness accords with ritual propriety, shame and disgrace remain distant.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 13.
信近於義 言可復也 恭近於禮 遠恥辱也
- Pinyin
- xìn jìn yú yì, yán kě fù yě, gōng jìn yú lǐ, yuǎn chǐ rǔ yě
- Translation
- When promises accord with righteousness, one’s word can be kept; when respectfulness accords with ritual propriety, shame and disgrace remain distant.
- Source
- Analects, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 13
What does this passage mean?
This saying by Youzi appears in the Xue Er chapter. 信近於義 means that a promise can be kept when it accords with what is right. It implies that even a promise already made should not be honored if doing so violates moral principle. 恭近於禮 means that deference must accord with ritual propriety, warning that excessive servility instead invites humiliation. Youzi teaches that even the virtues of trustworthiness and deference require sound standards.
How can we apply it today?
Keeping every promise unconditionally or showing blind deference can do harm. If you have said 'yes' to an unreasonable demand at work, must that promise really be kept? When a commitment violates what is right, correcting it may be the more trustworthy course. Excessive ingratiation, meanwhile, invites contempt rather than respect. The courage to refuse and the ability to say a reasoned 'no' are essential to genuine trustworthiness and courtesy.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Have I ever suffered because I kept a promise that violated what was right?
- ·Can I distinguish courtesy from servility?
- ·Do I have the courage to correct a promise that should never have been made?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 信 | xìn | trust | 9 | 人 (person) |
| 近 | jìn | near | 7 | 辵 (walk) |
| 於 | yú | at; in | 8 | 方 (square) |
| 義 | yì | right | 13 | 羊 (sheep) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 可 | kě | right | 5 | 口 (mouth) |
| 復 | fù | come back | 12 | 彳 (step) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
| 恭 | gōng | courteous | 10 | 心 (heart) |
| 近 | jìn | near | 7 | 辵 (walk) |
| 於 | yú | at; in | 8 | 方 (square) |
| 禮 | lǐ | ritual propriety | 18 | 示 (spirit) |
| 遠 | yuǎn | keep at a distance | 13 | 辵 (walk) |
| 恥 | chǐ | shame | 10 | 心 (heart) |
| 辱 | rǔ | be disgraced | 10 | 辰 (morning) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “When promises accord with righteousness…” mean?
信近於義 言可復也 恭近於禮 遠恥辱也 (xìn jìn yú yì, yán kě fù yě, gōng jìn yú lǐ, yuǎn chǐ rǔ yě) means “When promises accord with righteousness, one’s word can be kept; when respectfulness accords with ritual propriety, shame and disgrace remain distant.” It comes from the Analects, Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 13.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 1.13: Book 1 (Xue Er), Chapter 13.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Keeping every promise unconditionally or showing blind deference can do harm.If you have said 'yes' to an unreasonable demand at work, must that promise really be kept?