君子和而不同

jūnzǐ hé ér bù tóng
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 the gentleman is harmonious but does not conform
  2. 2 a person of character seeks harmony without blindly agreeing (literally: harmonizes yet is not the same)

Examples

Zhēnzhèng de péngyou jūnzǐhé'érbùtóng, néng tǎnchéng debiǎo dá bùtóng yìjiàn.
Real friends follow ‘harmonious but not the same’ — they can express different views honestly.
Guó yǔ guó zhījiān yě yīnggāi jūnzǐhé'érbùtóng.
Nations too should practice ‘harmony without uniformity.’

Tips

history
From the Analects 《论语·》: ‘君子和而不同小人不和。’ (The gentleman harmonises without conforming; the petty man conforms without harmony.) Chinese diplomacy frequently invokes the phrase to describe its cultural/international ethic.
usage
= harmonious relations while keeping distinct views; = sameness/conformity. Modern usage almost always cites it as a diplomatic or interpersonal principle.

Stroke Order

jūn
ér
tóng