political criticism

  • 窃钩者诛,窃国者侯(Qiè gōu zhě zhū, qiè guó zhě hóu)

    This entry explains idiom “Qie gou zhe zhu, qie guo zhe hou” from Zhuangzi ‑ Quqie. It bitterly satirizes legal‑moral hypocrisy: petty thieves get executed, while powerful usurpers gain noble titles.

  • Huàn Dé Huàn Shī (患得患失)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 患得患失Pinyin: huàn dé huàn shīLiteral Meaning: Worry about both gaining and losing something.Figurative Meaning: Before obtaining something, one frets about failing to get it; once possessed, one lives in constant fear of losing it. It describes people who obsessively fixate on personal gains and losses, trapped in endless anxiety over…

  • The Analects – Chapter 13.20

    Zi Gong asked, “What must one be like to be called a ‘shi’ (a morally responsible scholar-official)?”The Master said, “One who acts with a sense of shame and, when sent on missions abroad, fulfills his ruler’s charge without disgracing it—such a person may be called a shi.”Zi Gong asked, “May I ask about the…