“One must never scheme against others, but one must always be wary of others.” This is a warning against loss of vigilance.
“It is better to risk being cheated than always to assume beforehand that others are out to cheat you.” This is a warning against premature or faulty judgements about others.
Keep these two admonitions side by side in your mind, and you will be regarded as a man of keen sagacity and upright virtue.
害人之心不可有，防人之心不可无，此戒疏于虑也；宁受人之欺，毋逆人之诈，此警伤于察也，二语并存精明而浑厚矣。
Notes
In human relations, kindness is foundational — yet defenseless kindness becomes vulnerability, inviting exploitation.
Equally vital is elastic discernment: Overly suspicious ‘acuity’ curdles into harshness, while measured tolerance prevents needless conflict.
Consider Cao Cao in the history. His over-scrutiny led to slaughtering Lü Boshe’s family, cementing his infamous creed — ‘Rather let me wrong all men than any wrong me!’ — a momentary ‘risk prevention’ that cost him all goodwill.
This Cai Gen Tan(Tending the roots of wisdom) passage shatters the false binary of ‘kindness requires naivety’ vs. ‘discernment demands severity,’ proposing instead a middle path of vigilant openness. Only by balancing caution with compassion can one protect oneself while preserving life’s warmth.
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