君子周而不比

jūnzǐ zhōu ér bù bǐ
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 the gentleman is inclusive but does not form cliques
  2. 2 a person of integrity gets along broadly without factional favoritism

Examples

HSK 7-9
Lǐngdǎo yào yǒu jūnzǐ zhōu ér bù bǐ de xiōnghuái, bù gǎo xiǎoquānzi.
A leader needs the breadth of 'inclusive but not cliquey,' no inner circles.
HSK 7-9
Jūnzǐ zhōu ér bù bǐ, xiǎorén bǐ ér bù zhōu, zhè shì 《 Lúnyǔ 》 de lǎohuà.
'The gentleman is inclusive not cliquey; the petty man is cliquey not inclusive' - an old saying from the Analects.

Tips

history
From 《论语·为政》: 君子周而不比,小人比而不周 - the gentleman is universally fair, the petty man is partisan. A cornerstone Confucian teaching on character in relationships.
usage
周 here = 'universal, inclusive, impartial'; 比 here = 'to side with, to form a clique' (not the everyday 'compare'). Almost always quoted with the mirror clause 小人比而不周 to make the contrast visible.

Stroke Order

君 jūn
子 zǐ
周 zhōu
而 ér
不 bù
比 bǐ