Analects 17.24
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVII. YANG HO 陽貨第十七
子貢曰、君子亦有惡乎。子曰、有惡、惡稱人之惡者、惡居下流而訕上者、惡勇而無禮者、惡果敢而窒者。曰、賜也亦有惡乎。惡徼以爲知者、惡不孫以爲勇者、惡訐以爲直者。
1. Tsze-kung said, "Has the superior man his hatreds also?" The Master said, "He has his hatreds. He hates those who proclaim the evil of others. He hates the man who,
being in a low station, slanders his superiors. He hates those who have valour merely, and are unobservant of propriety. He hates those who are forward and determined, and, at the same time, of contracted understanding."
2. The Master then inquired, "Ts'ze, have you also your hatreds?" Tsze-kung replied, "I hate those who pry out matters, and ascribe the knowledge to their wisdom. I hate those who are only not modest, and think that they are valourous. I hate those who make known secrets, and think that they are straightforward."
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 貢gòngto offer, to contribute; tribute, gifts
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 稱chēngbalanced; name, brand; to say, to call
- 人rénman, person; people
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 流liúto flow, to drift, to circulate; class
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 訕shànto abuse, to slander, to vilify; to ridi
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 勇yǒngbrave, courageous, fierce
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 禮lǐcourtesy, manners, social customs
- 果guǒfruit, nut; result
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 窒zhìto obstruct, to stop
- 賜cìto give; to bestow a favor; to appoint
- 也yěalso, too
- 徼jiǎoborder, frontier; to inspect, to patrol
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 訐jiéexpose other's secrets, pry
- 直zhístraight, vertical; candid, direct, fran
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 19.20
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.