Chinese Idiom: 同流合污 (Tong Liu He Wu)
English Translation: Flow with the same current and merge with the filth
pīn yīn: tóng liú hé wū
Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to associating with corrupt or immoral people and participating in their wrongful deeds. It implies that someone is involved in unethical behavior by aligning themselves with others who are engaged in misconduct.
Historical Source: 《孟子 · 尽心下》 (Mencius: Part II of the Book of Mencius).
Idiom Story:
Wan Zhang and Gongsun Chou were both talented students of Mencius. One day, while discussing Confucius’s criticism of “good people,” Wan Zhang asked Mencius, “What kind of person can be called a ‘good person’?”
Mencius replied, “A person who is smooth and accommodating, pleasing everyone from all sides, is a ‘good person.'”
Wan Zhang then asked, “Such people are often praised by everyone in their community and outwardly appear to be very good. Why did Confucius consider such people to be detrimental to morality?”
Mencius explained, “It is not that such people have no faults, but rather that their faults are not easily pointed out. They merely conform to the bad customs and corrupted environment of the times. Though they seem loyal and honest, and their actions appear upright and pure, they are actually harming morality because their behavior does not align with the principles of great leaders like Yao and Shun.”
Mencius further elaborated that Confucius despised superficial appearances that mask a lack of true substance. He disliked dog-tail grass for fear it would spoil the crops; he disapproved of improper talents for fear they would disrupt righteousness; he loathed pretentious talk for fear it would ruin trustworthiness. Likewise, Confucius disdained “good people” who, despite their outward virtues, undermined true moral values.
As a result, the phrase “同乎流俗，合乎污世” (conforming to bad customs and merging with a corrupt world) was later condensed into the idiom “同流合污” (to flow with the same current and merge with the filth), illustrating the concept of participating in and perpetuating corruption by aligning with others who are morally compromised.
