Analects 6.24
The Analects (論語), BOOK VI. YUNG YEY 雍也第六
宰我問曰、仁者雖吿之曰、井有仁焉、其從之也。子曰、何爲其然也、君子可逝也、不可陷也、可欺也、不可罔也。
Tsai Wo asked, saying, "A benevolent man, though it be told him,—"There is a man in the well" will go in after him, I suppose." Confucius said, "Why should he do so?" A superior man may be made to go to the well, but he cannot be made to go down into it. He may be imposed upon, but he cannot be fooled."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 宰zǎito slaughter, to butcher; to govern, to
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 仁rénbenevolent, humane, kind
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 吿gàotell, announce, inform; accuse
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 井jǐngwell, mine shaft, pit
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 也yěalso, too
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 逝shìto die, to pass away
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 陷xiànto sink, to plunge; trap, pitfall
- 欺qīto cheat, to double-cross, to deceive
- 罔wǎngnone; to deceive; to slander
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Mencius 5A.2
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Analects 17.21
- Analects 18.6
- Zhuangzi Contingencies
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.