諺語 · a single proverb
防人之心不可無，害人之心不可有
Simplified: 防人之心不可无，害人之心不可有
What does 防人之心不可無，害人之心不可有 (fáng rén zhī xīn bù kě wú, hài rén zhī xīn bù kě yǒu) mean?
防人之心不可無，害人之心不可有 (fáng rén zhī xīn bù kě wú, hài rén zhī xīn bù kě yǒu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "you must not lack a guarding heart, you must not harbor a harming heart." In use it means: Stay alert to others' potential ill intentions without becoming the kind of person who harms others. 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 Dog.
Literally: "you must not lack a guarding heart, you must not harbor a harming heart."
The reading
Two instructions in one sentence. The first protects you. The second protects others from you. Together they describe the only sustainable position: eyes open, hands clean. Vigilance without malice. Caution without cruelty. The person who manages both is difficult to harm and impossible to blame.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zengguang Xianwen 增廣賢文 (Ming dynasty)
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 防人之心不可無，害人之心不可有 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 防人之心不可無，害人之心不可有 (fáng rén zhī xīn bù kě wú, hài rén zhī xīn bù kě yǒu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Zengguang Xianwen 增廣賢文 (Ming dynasty). 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 防人之心不可無，害人之心不可有?
In Mandarin it is fáng rén zhī xīn bù kě wú, hài rén zhī xīn bù kě yǒu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 防人之心不可無，害人之心不可有 aloud in Mandarin.