Analects 16.6 · Ji Shi
“To speak before it is one’s turn is called impatience; to keep silent when one should speak is called concealment; to speak without reading the other’s expression is called blindness.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
言未及之而言 謂之躁 言及之而不言 謂之隱 未見顔色而言 謂之瞽 (yán wèi jí zhī ér yán, wèi zhī zào, yán jí zhī ér bù yán, wèi zhī yǐn, wèi jiàn yán sè ér yán, wèi zhī gǔ) means “To speak before it is one’s turn is called impatience; to keep silent when one should speak is called concealment; to speak without reading the other’s expression is called blindness.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 6.
言未及之而言 謂之躁 言及之而不言 謂之隱 未見顔色而言 謂之瞽
- Pinyin
- yán wèi jí zhī ér yán, wèi zhī zào, yán jí zhī ér bù yán, wèi zhī yǐn, wèi jiàn yán sè ér yán, wèi zhī gǔ
- Translation
- To speak before it is one’s turn is called impatience; to keep silent when one should speak is called concealment; to speak without reading the other’s expression is called blindness.
- Source
- Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 6
What does this passage mean?
In the sixth chapter of Ji Shi, Confucius names three faults that are easy to commit when attending on an exemplary person in conversation. Speaking before one’s turn has come is called impatience; not speaking when one’s turn has come is called concealment; and speaking without reading the other person’s expression is called blindness. All three arise from failing to read the moment and the person in conversation. Too fast, too slow, or blind to the other: each is a fault. By addressing the timing and manner of speech rather than its content, this passage is among the oldest summaries of the art of communication.
How can we apply it today?
Mistakes in meetings and conversations usually fall into one of these three. The impatience that interrupts and cuts in, the concealment that avoids responsibility by staying silent when an opinion is needed, and the blindness that pours out prepared words even when the other person is exhausted or angry. The third has grown worse in the age of video calls and messaging apps: with no face in view, words are exchanged without reading the other person’s state. Confucius’s prescription is simple. Wait your turn, do not dodge it when it comes, and look at the other person before you speak. Good conversation comes not from good words but from good timing and observation.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Which of the three faults do you commit most often?
- ·Have you ever avoided speaking when you should have?
- ·Do you have the habit of reading the other person’s expression before you speak?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 未 | wèi | still | 5 | 木 (tree) |
| 及 | jí | reach | 4 | 又 (again) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 謂 | wèi | say; call | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 躁 | zào | hasty | 20 | 足 (foot) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 及 | jí | reach | 4 | 又 (again) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 謂 | wèi | say; call | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 隱 | yǐn | hide | 17 | 阜 (mound) |
| 未 | wèi | still | 5 | 木 (tree) |
| 見 | jiàn | see | 7 | 見 (see) |
| 顔 | yán | face | 18 | 頁 (leaf) |
| 色 | sè | color; countenance | 6 | 色 (color) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 言 | yán | speech | 7 | 言 (speech) |
| 謂 | wèi | say; call | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 瞽 | gǔ | blind | 18 | 目 (eye) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “To speak before it is one’s turn is called…” mean?
言未及之而言 謂之躁 言及之而不言 謂之隱 未見顔色而言 謂之瞽 (yán wèi jí zhī ér yán, wèi zhī zào, yán jí zhī ér bù yán, wèi zhī yǐn, wèi jiàn yán sè ér yán, wèi zhī gǔ) means “To speak before it is one’s turn is called impatience; to keep silent when one should speak is called concealment; to speak without reading the other’s expression is called blindness.” It comes from the Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 6.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 16.6: Book 16 (Ji Shi), Chapter 6.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Mistakes in meetings and conversations usually fall into one of these three.