Analects 15.33 · Wei Ling Gong
“Even if wisdom enables you to attain something, if humaneness cannot preserve it, you are certain to lose it.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
知及之 仁不能守之 雖得之 必失之 (zhì jí zhī, rén bù néng shǒu zhī, suī dé zhī, bì shī zhī) means “Even if wisdom enables you to attain something, if humaneness cannot preserve it, you are certain to lose it.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 15 (Wei Ling Gong), Chapter 33.
知及之 仁不能守之 雖得之 必失之
- Pinyin
- zhì jí zhī, rén bù néng shǒu zhī, suī dé zhī, bì shī zhī
- Translation
- Even if wisdom enables you to attain something, if humaneness cannot preserve it, you are certain to lose it.
- Source
- Analects, Book 15 (Wei Ling Gong), Chapter 33
What does this passage mean?
In this passage from the Wei Ling Gong chapter, Confucius explains the relationship between wisdom and humaneness. Even if wisdom is enough to gain something, we will certainly lose it if humaneness is insufficient to preserve it. 知 is the ability to understand circumstances and seize opportunities, while 仁 is the moral capacity to maintain what has been gained rightly. Confucius believed that wisdom alone is insufficient and that only the support of humaneness makes an achievement last.
How can we apply it today?
We often see clever people seize an opportunity and succeed, only to lose everything through moral failure. A businessperson builds great wealth through outstanding commercial sense but falls through greed; a performer reaches the top through talent but plummets amid revelations about character. Wisdom can gain success, but only character can preserve it. The dignity with which success is sustained matters more than the scale of the success itself.
Questions to reflect on
- ·What have I gained through wisdom but failed to preserve?
- ·What moral effort do I make to sustain my achievements?
- ·Do I invest more in ability or in character?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 知 | zhì | wise; wisdom | 8 | 矢 (arrow) |
| 及 | jí | reach | 4 | 又 (again) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 仁 | rén | benevolent | 4 | 人 (person) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 守 | shǒu | keep | 6 | 宀 (roof) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 雖 | suī | although | 17 | 隹 (short-tailed bird) |
| 得 | dé | obtain | 11 | 彳 (step) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 失 | shī | lose | 5 | 大 (big) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Even if wisdom enables you to attain…” mean?
知及之 仁不能守之 雖得之 必失之 (zhì jí zhī, rén bù néng shǒu zhī, suī dé zhī, bì shī zhī) means “Even if wisdom enables you to attain something, if humaneness cannot preserve it, you are certain to lose it.” It comes from the Analects, Book 15 (Wei Ling Gong), Chapter 33.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 15.33: Book 15 (Wei Ling Gong), Chapter 33.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
We often see clever people seize an opportunity and succeed, only to lose everything through moral failure.