Analects 17.8
The Analects (論語), BOOK XVII. YANG HO 陽貨第十七
子曰、由也、女聞六言六蔽矣乎。對曰、未也。居、吾語女。好仁不好學、其蔽也愚、好智不好學、其蔽也蕩、好信不好學、其蔽也賊、好直不好學、其蔽也絞、好勇不好學、其蔽也亂、好剛不好學、其蔽也狂。
1. The Master said, "Yu, have you heard the six words to which are attached six becloudings?" Yu replied, "I have not."
2. "Sit down, and I will tell them to you.
3. "There is the love of being benevolent without the love of learning;—the beclouding here leads to a foolish simplicity. There is the love of knowing without the love of learning;—the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind. There is the love of being sincere without the love of learning;—the beclouding here leads to an injurious disregard of consequences. There is the love of straightforwardness without the love of learning;—the beclouding here leads to rudeness. There is the love of boldness without the love of learning;—the beclouding here leads to insubordination. There is the love of firmness without the love of learning;—the beclouding here leads to extravagant conduct."
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 由yóucause, reason; from
- 也yěalso, too
- 女nǚwoman, girl; female
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 六liùsix
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 蔽bìto cover, to hide, to shelter
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 語yǔwords, language; saying, expression
- 好hǎogood, excellent, fine; proper, suitable;
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 愚yústupid, foolish
- 智zhìwisdom, knowledge, intelligence
- 蕩dàngpond, pool; ripple, shake; to wash away,
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 賊zéithief, traitor; cunning, sly
- 直zhístraight, vertical; candid, direct, fran
- 絞jiǎointertwined; to twist, to wring; to hang
- 勇yǒngbrave, courageous, fierce
- 亂luànanarchy, chaos; revolt
- 剛gānghard, strong, tough; just, barely
- 狂kuánginsane, mad; violent; wild
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
- Analects 11.17
- Art of War 13.15
- Analects 17.16
- Analects 15.2
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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