Trust

Analects 19.10

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Original Text:

子夏曰君子信而后劳其民未信则以为厉己也信而后谏未信则以为谤己也

Translation:

Other Translations:

Zixia said, “The gentleman imposes labors upon his people only after earning their trust. If he does so before having earned their trust, they will think him cruel. The gentleman remonstrates with [his ruler] only after earning his trust. If he does so before having earned his trust, his ruler will think him insolent.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Zixia said, The gentleman must be trusted before he can demand labor from the common people. If he is not trusted, they will think he is being harsh with them. He must be trusted before he can remonstrate [with his superiors]. If he is not trusted, they will think he is speaking ill of them.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 12.7

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Original Text:

子贡问政子曰足食足兵民信之矣子贡曰必不得已而去于斯三者何先曰去兵子贡曰必不得已而去于斯二者何先曰去食自古皆有死民无信不立

Translation:

Other Translations:

Zigong asked about governing.

The Master said, “Simply make sure there is sufficient food, sufficient armaments, and that you have the confidence of the common people.”

Zigong said, “If sacrificing one of these three things became unavoidable, which would you sacrifice first?”

The Master replied, “I would sacrifice the armaments.”

Zigong said, “If sacrificing one of the two remaining things became unavoidable, which would you sacrifice next?”

The Master replied, “I would sacrifice the food. Death has always been with us, but a state cannot stand once it has lost the confidence of the people.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Zigong asked about government. The Master said, You need enough food, enough weaponry, and the trust of the common people.

Zigong said, If you had to do without one of these, which of the three would you do without first?

Do without weapons.

And if you had to do without one of the other two, which would it be?

The Master said, Do without food. From times past, everyone has to die. But without the trust of the common people, you get nowhere.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.

Analects 8.16

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Original Text:

子曰狂而不直侗而不愿悾悾而不信吾不知之矣

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “People who are wild without at least being upright, simple-minded without at least being honest, or ingenuous without at least being trustworthy—I simply do not understand them.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, Enthusiastic but not straightforward; naive but insincere; simple, guileless, but not to be trusted—such persons I do not understand.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.