📖 Meaning
To cherish the people and strive to benefit them. It describes a benevolent and compassionate attitude toward others and the wider world, reflecting the ancient Chinese ideal that true humaneness expresses itself through concrete care for people and beneficial actions toward all things.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Daoist text Zhuangzi (《庄子》), specifically the chapter "Tiandi" (《天地》), composed during the Warring States period (475–221 BCE). In the original passage, the philosopher Zhuangzi defines the concept of ren (仁, humaneness) by stating that "loving the people and benefiting things is what is called ren" (爱人利物之谓仁). Rather than treating benevolence as an abstract virtue, the text roots it in tangible conduct toward people and the natural world. Over the centuries, the phrase was adopted by Confucian scholars and statesmen as a guiding maxim for humane governance and moral action.
💡 Example Usage
为政者当怀仁德之心，爱人利物，方能长治久安。
A ruler should harbor a benevolent heart, love the people and benefit all things, so that lasting peace and stability may be achieved.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 爱人利物
- Pinyin: ài rén lì wù
- Literal Translation: love, people, benefit, things
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4