Analects 5.27 · Gongye Chang
“It is hopeless! I have yet to see anyone who can recognize their own faults and take themselves to task within.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
已矣乎 吾未見能見其過而內自訟者也 (yǐ yǐ hū, wú wèi jiàn néng jiàn qí guò ér nèi zì sòng zhě yě) means “It is hopeless! I have yet to see anyone who can recognize their own faults and take themselves to task within.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 27.
已矣乎 吾未見能見其過而內自訟者也
- Pinyin
- yǐ yǐ hū, wú wèi jiàn néng jiàn qí guò ér nèi zì sòng zhě yě
- Translation
- It is hopeless! I have yet to see anyone who can recognize their own faults and take themselves to task within.
- Source
- Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 27
What does this passage mean?
This passage comes from the twenty-seventh chapter of Gongye Chang. The opening words are a sigh: it is hopeless. Confucius laments that he has yet to meet anyone who can recognize their own faults and reproach themselves within. The character in ‘reproach oneself within’ means to argue a case as in a lawsuit, so the phrase describes accusing and cross-examining oneself inside one’s own mind. Seeing others’ faults clearly while missing one’s own, and reaching for excuses even when one does see them, is how most people behave. Confucius held that genuine self-cultivation begins in this inner trial, and his sigh expresses how rare it is.
How can we apply it today?
When a mistake comes to light, we reflexively look for excuses. Blaming circumstances, other people, or bad luck brings relief, but the same mistake recurs. The self-reproach Confucius describes is an inner trial that faces one’s fault without excuse. Serving as prosecutor and judge at once is painful, but real change begins here. Admitting fault does not make a person look weak; it is the one who makes excuses who looks small. Writing down one fault of your own at the end of the day, without blaming anyone else, is a way to practice this passage.
Questions to reflect on
- ·The last time you made a mistake, did you start with excuses or with acknowledgment?
- ·Whose faults do you see more clearly, others’ or your own?
- ·When did you last cross-examine yourself honestly?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 已 | yǐ | already | 3 | 己 (self) |
| 矣 | yǐ | grammatical particle | 7 | 矢 (arrow) |
| 乎 | hū | grammatical particle | 5 | 丿 (slash) |
| 吾 | wú | I; me | 7 | 口 (mouth) |
| 未 | wèi | still | 5 | 木 (tree) |
| 見 | jiàn | see | 7 | 見 (see) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 見 | jiàn | see | 7 | 見 (see) |
| 其 | qí | that; he | 8 | 八 (eight) |
| 過 | guò | fault | 12 | 辵 (walk) |
| 而 | ér | and; but | 6 | 而 (and) |
| 內 | nèi | inside | 4 | 入 (enter) |
| 自 | zì | oneself | 6 | 自 (self) |
| 訟 | sòng | accuse; reproach | 11 | 言 (speech) |
| 者 | zhě | person | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 也 | yě | grammatical particle | 3 | 乙 (second) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “It is hopeless! I have yet to see anyone…” mean?
已矣乎 吾未見能見其過而內自訟者也 (yǐ yǐ hū, wú wèi jiàn néng jiàn qí guò ér nèi zì sòng zhě yě) means “It is hopeless! I have yet to see anyone who can recognize their own faults and take themselves to task within.” It comes from the Analects, Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 27.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 5.27: Book 5 (Gongye Chang), Chapter 27.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
When a mistake comes to light, we reflexively look for excuses.Blaming circumstances, other people, or bad luck brings relief, but the same mistake recurs.