The Master said, “If everyone dislikes someone, you must investigate carefully; if everyone likes someone, you must also investigate carefully.”
Note
This saying from the Analects of Confucius reflects his strong commitment to rationality and independent judgment when evaluating people, rejecting blind conformity to public opinion.
Whether “everyone dislikes” or “everyone likes” a person, Confucius insists on “careful investigation”. Crowd opinion is not necessarily just: sometimes the masses collectively reject someone due to prejudice, envy, or incomplete information; other times they blindly praise someone based on superficial impressions, shared interests, or herd mentality.
This principle stems from the Confucian epistemological stance of “seeking truth from facts.” Confucius does not dismiss public sentiment outright, but argues that judgment must be grounded in evidence and guided by righteousness – not determined by majority vote. A true noble person rises above collective emotion and maintains clear discernment.
This teaching resonates with Analects 17.13: “The ‘village worthy’ is the thief of virtue.” The so-called “village worthy” – a person who appears agreeable and is universally praised for being non-confrontational – actually lacks moral backbone and blurs the line between good and evil. Thus, universal approval does not guarantee true worthiness, just as universal disapproval does not prove genuine vice.
In today’s digital age, online public opinion often forms overwhelming, one-sided waves. Confucius’ warning is especially relevant: When faced with collective praise or collective condemnation, one must calmly verify facts and guard against ‘tyranny of the majority’ or ‘moral coercion.’
More profoundly, this reflects the Confucian pursuit of the “Middle Way” and moral autonomy: refusing to drift with the tide, declining to pander to popular taste, and instead making responsible judgments based on reason and virtue.
In short, Confucius teaches: Public opinion may inform, but never dictate; to judge a person, rely on evidence; to decide a matter, value independence.
Further Reading
The Master said, “The ‘village worthy’ is the thief of virtue.” Analects 17.13 (Yang Huo)
Both warn that universal popularity can mask moral emptiness; true virtue may not be crowd-pleasing.
The Master said, “The noble person does not promote someone solely on the basis of his words, nor does he reject someone’s words solely because of who he is.” Analects 15.23 (Wei Ling Gong)
Emphasizes objective, evidence-based judgment over reputation or consensus.
Zigong asked, “What if everyone in the village likes him?” The Master said, “Not sufficient.” “What if everyone dislikes him?” “Also not sufficient. Better that the virtuous in the village like him, and the unvirtuous dislike him.” Analects 13.24 (Zi Lu)
Directly expands on chapter 15.28 – ideal judgment comes not from unanimity, but from alignment with the morally discerning.
子曰：「眾惡之，必察焉；眾好之，必察焉。」
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