諺語 · a single proverb
人善被人欺
What does 人善被人欺 (rén shàn bèi rén qī) mean?
人善被人欺 (rén shàn bèi rén qī) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a kind person gets bullied by others." In use it means: Excessive niceness can invite exploitation; kindness without boundaries becomes a liability. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "a kind person gets bullied by others."
The reading
You said yes to everything. You accommodated every request. Now the requests are not requests anymore. They are expectations, and the expectation is that you will continue to say yes because you always have. Kindness needs a border. Not to limit the kindness, but to keep it from converting into a standing invitation for others to take.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; widely cited in Chinese moral discourse
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人善被人欺 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人善被人欺 (rén shàn bèi rén qī) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; widely cited in Chinese moral discourse. 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 人善被人欺?
In Mandarin it is rén shàn bèi rén qī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人善被人欺 aloud in Mandarin.