諺語 · a single proverb
成人之美，不成人之惡
Simplified: 成人之美，不成人之恶
What does 成人之美，不成人之惡 (chéng rén zhī měi bù chéng rén zhī è) mean?
成人之美，不成人之惡 (chéng rén zhī měi bù chéng rén zhī è) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "help complete others' goodness, do not help complete others' evil." In use it means: Support others in what is good; do not assist others in what is harmful. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "help complete others' goodness, do not help complete others' evil."
The reading
The same hands that can plant can pull up, and it matters profoundly which capacity they exercise toward which thing. To help the good emerge and to refuse to help the harmful grow is not neutrality but choice, the most basic form of moral participation in the world around us. Assistance is always a vote for something.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects of Confucius 論語·顏淵 (Yán Yuān XII)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 成人之美，不成人之惡 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 成人之美，不成人之惡 (chéng rén zhī měi bù chéng rén zhī è) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Analects of Confucius 論語·顏淵 (Yán Yuān XII). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 成人之美，不成人之惡?
In Mandarin it is chéng rén zhī měi bù chéng rén zhī è. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 成人之美，不成人之惡 aloud in Mandarin.