📖 Meaning
To change one's demeanor or appearance and to alter established customs. It describes a thorough transformation of both outward bearing and ingrained social habits, traditionally achieved through moral influence rather than force.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the Lüshi Chunqiu (《吕氏春秋》), an encyclopedic text compiled in the late Warring States period (3rd century BCE) under the patronage of Lü Buwei, chancellor of the state of Qin. In the chapter Shang De (《上德》, 'Exalted Virtue'), the text reads: 'A teaching that changes demeanor and alters customs, yet no one can say where they received it from — this is called following true human nature.' The passage argues that virtuous rule transforms people's bearing and customs so subtly that they are unaware of being influenced, contrasting such moral power with coercion or rigid law.
💡 Example Usage
圣王以德化民，变容改俗，而天下莫知其所以然。
The sage king transformed the people through virtue, changing their demeanor and altering their customs, yet no one in the realm knew how it came about.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 变容改俗
- Pinyin: biàn róng gǎi sú
- Literal Translation: change, countenance, alter, customs
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4