Analects 15.28 · Wei Ling Gong
“When everyone dislikes someone, be sure to examine the case; when everyone likes someone, be sure to examine the case.”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
衆惡之 必察焉 衆好之 必察焉 (zhòng wù zhī, bì chá yān, zhòng hào zhī, bì chá yān) means “When everyone dislikes someone, be sure to examine the case; when everyone likes someone, be sure to examine the case.” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 15 (Wei Ling Gong), Chapter 28.
衆惡之 必察焉 衆好之 必察焉
- Pinyin
- zhòng wù zhī, bì chá yān, zhòng hào zhī, bì chá yān
- Translation
- When everyone dislikes someone, be sure to examine the case; when everyone likes someone, be sure to examine the case.
- Source
- Analects, Book 15 (Wei Ling Gong), Chapter 28
What does this passage mean?
In this passage from the Wei Ling Gong chapter, 衆 means the multitude, 惡 to dislike, 好 to like, and 察 to examine. Confucius stresses independent judgment rather than being swept along by public opinion. A person is not necessarily bad because many people dislike that person, nor necessarily good because many people approve. The attitude of an exemplary person is to verify the facts directly without yielding to crowd psychology.
How can we apply it today?
In the age of the internet and social media, public opinion forms in an instant and can destroy a person's reputation in a single day. Yet popular judgment is not always right. Some people are unjustly condemned through malicious rumors, while others conceal their true nature behind popularity and a dazzling image. The ability to judge by one's own standards rather than being dazzled by comments or numbers of likes is more important than ever.
Questions to reflect on
- ·Am I easily influenced by public opinion or the judgments of those around me?
- ·Have I ever reconsidered, by my own standards, someone condemned by the public?
- ·Have I ever passed judgment without verifying the truth?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 衆 | zhòng | multitude | 12 | 血 (blood) |
| 惡 | wù | hate | 12 | 心 (heart) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 察 | chá | examine | 14 | 宀 (roof) |
| 焉 | yān | grammatical particle | 11 | 火 (fire) |
| 衆 | zhòng | multitude | 12 | 血 (blood) |
| 好 | hào | delight in | 6 | 女 (woman) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 必 | bì | certainly | 5 | 心 (heart) |
| 察 | chá | examine | 14 | 宀 (roof) |
| 焉 | yān | grammatical particle | 11 | 火 (fire) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “When everyone dislikes someone, be sure to…” mean?
衆惡之 必察焉 衆好之 必察焉 (zhòng wù zhī, bì chá yān, zhòng hào zhī, bì chá yān) means “When everyone dislikes someone, be sure to examine the case; when everyone likes someone, be sure to examine the case.” It comes from the Analects, Book 15 (Wei Ling Gong), Chapter 28.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 15.28: Book 15 (Wei Ling Gong), Chapter 28.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
In the age of the internet and social media, public opinion forms in an instant and can destroy a person's reputation in a single day.Yet popular judgment is not always right.