偏听偏信 — “Heed one side and believe one side”
偏听偏信 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to readily believe information from only one source or perspective, without seeking or considering other viewpoints; to be credulous and prejudiced”. Literally, “Heed one side and believe one side”.
偏听偏信 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 偏piān
- 听tīng
- 偏piān
- 信xìn
偏听偏信 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 偏听偏信
Origin and Story of 偏听偏信
During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong appointed Wei Zheng as his prime minister. One day, the emperor asked Wei Zheng how he could become a wise and benevolent ruler.
Wei Zheng responded by explaining that ancient sage-kings like Yao and Shun were renowned for their wisdom and for successfully governing their realms because they were adept at listening to various perspectives and advice from all sides. In contrast, he pointed out that rulers such as Qin Er Shi, Emperor Wu of Liang, and Emperor Yang of Sui met their downfall because they were prone to heed only one side and blindly believe it, failing to grasp the true circumstances.
Emperor Taizong found Wei Zheng's words to be very insightful and reasonable.
Idioms Related to 偏听偏信
More idioms starting with 偏
Questions about 偏听偏信
- What does 偏听偏信 mean?
- 偏听偏信 (piān tīng piān xìn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to readily believe information from only one source or perspective, without seeking or considering other viewpoints; to be credulous and prejudiced”.
- How do you pronounce 偏听偏信?
- 偏听偏信 is pronounced piān tīng piān xìn in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 偏听偏信 literally mean?
- Literally, 偏听偏信 means “Heed one side and believe one side”. It is used to mean “to readily believe information from only one source or perspective, without seeking or considering other viewpoints; to be credulous and prejudiced”.
- Where does 偏听偏信 come from?
- 偏听偏信 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 偏听偏信?
- 偏面地听了一方面的话就信以为真。多指处理事情的态度不公正。