It means don't impose what you don't want to endure on others.

source: from The Analects of Confucius-Yan Yuan and The Analects of Confucius-Wei Linggong. The famous words of Confucius, an ancient thinker and educator in China.

excerpt from the original text:

Zhonggong Wenren. Confucius said, "Going out is like seeing a distinguished guest, making people like bearing a big sacrifice. Do as you would be done by. No complaints in the state, no complaints at home. " Zhong Gong said, "Yong is not sensitive, so please talk to me."

Vernacular translation: Zhong Gong asked Confucius how to behave in a humane way. Confucius replied: "Going out to do business is like receiving distinguished guests, and serving the people is like making a major sacrifice. Don't impose on others what you don't want.

Make sure that no one hates (himself) in the princes' court and no one hates (himself) in the fief of Doctor Qing. " Zhong Gong said, "Although I am not smart, I will do as you say."

Extended information

The second chapter of The Analects of Yan Yuan is a passage of Confucius' comment on "benevolence" to his student Zhong Gong. He talked about two contents of "benevolence". One is to ask his students to be serious in their affairs, and the other is to be lenient with others, "don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you." Only by doing these two things can we take a big step towards benevolence. "Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you" has become the creed that later generations will follow.

don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you, so can you do to others what you want them to do to you? This is a philosophical reflection.

For a proposition, we should make a comprehensive analysis instead of just drawing a bias from one side.

You just can't impose what you don't want on others, but if the other person wants to, it doesn't belong to the scope of "giving". What you want, others may not want, so you can't impose it on others.

Generally speaking, no matter whether you "do what you want" or not, you can't "give" what you impose on others. There is only one standard for what you give others, that is, the will of others. It depends on whether others are willing, not on their own standards.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you.