The wise son and the suspicious neighbor

– by Han Fei (Pre-Qin Period)

In the state of Song, there was a wealthy man.

After heavy rain, the wall of his house collapsed.

His son said: “If we don’t repair it at once, thieves will surely break in.”

An old man from his neighborhood also warned him the same thing.

That night, he indeed lost a great deal of property.

His family praised the son for his wisdom, yet suspected the old neighbor of stealing.

Note

This fable is from Han Feizi, a classic text by Han Fei, the great Legalist philosopher of the Warring States Period.

The story criticizes subjective bias: the same warning is seen as wise when coming from family, but suspicious when from a stranger.

智子疑邻

宋有富人，天雨墙坏。其子曰：“不筑，必将有盗。”其邻人之父亦云。暮而果大亡其财，其家甚智其子，而疑邻人之父。