This saying means that people naturally favor their own family or close friends over outsiders, even when the outsider might be in the right. It acknowledges that loyalty to one's inner circle is instinctive and expected.
In Chinese culture, family and close in-group relationships are paramount, and this saying reflects the deep-rooted value of prioritizing one's own people.
Chinese people use this saying to explain or justify partiality toward one's own group, signaling that such behavior is natural and even morally acceptable in a culture that values collective loyalty over abstract fairness.
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