Teng Wen Gong II · Passage 06 / 10 · 孟子 3B.6
Mencius 3B.6: one teacher from Qi cannot prevail
The example of learning the speech of Qi to show that moral and political formation cannot be changed by one good input inside a surrounding environment.
孟子謂戴不勝曰：「子欲子之王之善與？我明告子：有楚大夫於此，欲其子之齊語也，則使齊人傅諸？使楚人傅諸？」曰：「使齊人傅之。」曰：「一齊人傅之，眾楚人咻之，雖日撻而求其齊也，不可得矣。引而置之莊岳之間數年，雖日撻而求其楚，亦不可得矣。子謂薛居州，善士也，使之居於王所。在於王所者，長幼卑尊皆薛居州也，王誰與為不善？在王所者，長幼卑尊皆非薛居州也，王誰與為善？一薛居州，獨如宋王何？」
Mencius said to Dai Bu Sheng, 'I see that you are desiring your king to be virtuous, and will plainly tell you how he may be made so. Suppose that there is a great officer of Chu here, who wishes his son to learn the speech of Qi. Will he in that case employ a man of Qi as his tutor, or a man of Chu?' 'He will employ a man of Qi to teach him,' said Bu Sheng. Mencius went on, 'If but one man of Qi be teaching him, and there be a multitude of men of Chu continually shouting out about him, although his father beat him every day, wishing him to learn the speech of Qi, it will be impossible for him to do so. But in the same way, if he were to be taken and placed for several years in Zhuang or Yue, though his father should beat him, wishing him to speak the language of Chu, it would be impossible for him to do so. You supposed that Xue Ju Zhou was a scholar of virtue, and you have got him placed in attendance on the king. Suppose that all in attendance on the king, old and young, high and low, were Xue Ju Zhous, whom would the king have to do evil with? And suppose that all in attendance on the king, old and young, high and low, are not Xue Ju Zhous, whom will the king gave to do good with? What can one Xue Ju Zhou do alone for the king of Song?'
Priority note
A human-edited reading layer
Central question
Why does Mencius say that if one man from Qi teaches while many men of Chu drown him out, no amount of beating will make the student speak Qi?
Direct answer
Because formation depends not only on what one has heard once, but on what one is continually surrounded by. When the whole environment trains in the opposite direction, a single teacher's effort is likely to be neutralized.
First principle
To change a person, it is not enough to add one correct input. One must also alter the feedback loops of the environment that keep forming the person every day.
Why it matters
This passage serves searches around environment, formation, organizational culture, and Mencius on why good teaching fails inside a bad surrounding order.
Further reading
What this passage is doing
This is passage 6 of 10 in Teng Wen Gong II. The cleanest entry point is "I see that you are desiring your king…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about division of labor, teaching, and social order and can be read alongside Human nature, Humane government / kingly way.
Broader search routes
If you came here with a wider question, start from the right hub page
Human nature is good: the starting point of moral growth
If your real query is broader than one citation, start from the theme page and use this passage as proof text.
Open human natureWho is Mencius?
If you first need the person, the aliases, and why he matters, start from the about page.
Open About MenciusMencius quotes and sayings
If you arrived through a famous line, start from the quotes hub and then return to the exact passage.
Open Mencius quotesMencius full text and works of Mencius
If you need the book structure, the works of Mencius, or where to read the text, start from the full-text hub.
Open the full-text hubBook context
Teng Wen Gong II focuses on labor, teaching, and the proper limits of social roles.
Related principles
Citation note
Do not shrink it into a language-learning anecdote. Mencius is talking about politics and education: if you want a ruler or a team to improve, the hostile environment cannot be left intact.