Jǐ suǒ bù yù, wù shī yú rén.
己 所 不 欲，勿 施 于 人。
Origin: Analects of Confucius,15.24
Translation: What you don’t
want it done to yourself,
do not do it to others.
Character Notes:
己（jǐ）: self, ego.
所 (suǒ): a structural particle,
used to transfer a verb
or its negative into a gerund.
欲（yù）: want, desire.
勿(wù): do not.
施(shī): apply to, bring to.
人(rén ): here means people other
than yourself, others
Explanation:
This is one of the most famous quotations of Confucius, and it has been considered as the basic principle and essence of human right. Some people also consider this as a negative expression of “All things whatsoever ye would that men should
do to you, do ye so to them” （Matthew 7:1）in Christianity, and call the later “the golden rule”, and the former “ the silver
rule”. However, since people some times do have different needs and different desires in certain situations, it is not always welcome to impose something to others when you think it’s desirable to yourself, which may lead to a kind of unilateral moralism. This quotation is still frequently referred in people’s daily speaking, with an effect of advising people don’t do
any unmoral things that will harm others.
