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往者不可谏

往者不可諫
wǎngzhěbùkějiàn
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 the past cannot be remonstrated with
  2. 2 what's done is done — no use in advising it
  3. 3 (lit.) that which has passed, cannot be counselled

Examples

往者不可谏，不必再为当年的选择自责。
Wǎng zhě bù kě jiàn, bùbì zài wèi dāngnián de xuǎnzé zìzé.
The past can't be argued with — no need to keep blaming yourself for old choices.
他总说往者不可谏，来者犹可追，于是重新开始学医。
Tā zǒng shuō wǎng zhě bù kě jiàn, lái zhě yóu kě zhuī, yúshì chóngxīn kāishǐ xué yī.
He kept saying 'the past can't be revised, the future can still be chased' — and started studying medicine again.

Tips

history
From 《论语·微子》 (Analects: Weizi), sung by Jieyu (接舆), the 'madman of Chu,' as he passed Confucius: 『往者不可谏，来者犹可追。已而，已而，今之从政者殆而』— 'the past cannot be counselled; the future can still be pursued. Enough, enough — today's politicians are in peril!' Tao Yuanming later echoed the pair in 《归去来兮辞》: 『悟已往之不谏，知来者之可追』.
usage
谏 is 'to remonstrate / advise against' — often used of advising a ruler. Here it's applied figuratively to time: you can't talk the past into changing its mind. Almost always paired with 『来者犹可追』.

Stroke Order

往 wǎng
者 zhě
不 bù
可 kě
谏 jiàn