諺語 · a single proverb

大dà辯biàn不bù言yán,，大dà仁rén不bù仁rén

Simplified: 大辩不言，大仁不仁

dà biàn bù yán, dà rén bù rén

What does 大辯不言，大仁不仁 (dà biàn bù yán, dà rén bù rén) mean?

大辯不言，大仁不仁 (dà biàn bù yán, dà rén bù rén) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "Great eloquence does not speak; great benevolence shows no particular kindness." In use it means: The most persuasive argument needs no words, and the deepest compassion operates without self-conscious displays of virtue. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.

Literally: "Great eloquence does not speak; great benevolence shows no particular kindness."

The reading

Anyone who has watched a truly skilled negotiator knows that the decisive move often happens in silence. Words multiply when confidence is thin. Benevolence that labels itself as such has already begun to curdle into performance. Zhuangzi suggests that the highest forms of human quality work like gravity, pulling things into order without explanation or advertisement. The person who must announce their kindness has not yet arrived at kindness.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Zhuangzi, Qiwulun (Discussion on Making All Things Equal), Warring States period

Sits beside

偷梁換柱

tōu liáng huàn zhù

A secret substitution.

先入為主

xiān rù wéi zhǔ

First impressions dominate perception.

千里之堤，潰於蟻穴

qiān lǐ zhī dī kuì yú yǐ xué

Small problems ignored become catastrophic.

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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 大辯不言，大仁不仁 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 大辯不言，大仁不仁 (dà biàn bù yán, dà rén bù rén) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Zhuangzi, Qiwulun (Discussion on Making All Things Equal), Warring States period. 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 大辯不言，大仁不仁?

In Mandarin it is dà biàn bù yán, dà rén bù rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 大辯不言，大仁不仁 aloud in Mandarin.