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宁得罪君子,不得罪小人

Níng dézuì jūnzǐ, bùdé dézuì xiǎorén
Better to offend a gentleman than a petty person.

Rather offend gentleman, cannot offend petty person.

This is a shorter version of the first saying, emphasizing t...

This is a shorter version of the first saying, emphasizing the same principle: gentlemen are magnanimous and will forgive offenses, but petty people are vengeful and dangerous. It advises strategic caution in dealing with malicious individuals.

This reflects the practical social wisdom in Chinese culture that understanding human nature is key to navigating relationships safely.

Someone might say this when warning a colleague not to publicly embarrass a difficult coworker, even if the colleague is right, to avoid future retaliation.

This saying encapsulates a survival strategy: it's not about being unfair, but about recognizing that some people cannot handle conflict gracefully. It signals emotional intelligence and strategic thinking in social relations.

#social-rules #caution #human-nature

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