Zhè jù xiǎorén zhī dé cǎo cháng bèi yònglái jiǎng lǐngdǎo yǐshēn-zuòzé de zhòngyàoxìng.
The line "the common man's virtue is grass" is often cited to argue that leaders must lead by example.
Tips
history
From 《论语·颜渊》 (Analects, Book 12). When Ji Kangzi asked about governance, Confucius replied: 君子之德风，小人之德草，草上之风，必偃, 'The virtue of the gentleman is wind; the virtue of the common man is grass. When wind blows across the grass, the grass must bend.' A foundational Confucian claim that rulers transform the people by moral example.
usage
In this classical usage 小人 means 'common people / those of low station', NOT the modern pejorative 'petty person'. The line is the second half of a couplet, almost always quoted together with 君子之德风.
