Chinese idiom · 成语
兼听则明
Meaning
To hear all sides is to understand; impartial listening brings clarity.
Character by character
Origin and story
philosophicalIn the Eastern Han work Qianfu Lun (潜夫论), Wang Fu argues that a ruler becomes perceptive by listening broadly, and remains in the dark by placing trust in only one side. The principle is about how judgment is formed: a single favored source can conceal information or distort a decision.
The Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government (资治通鉴) later records Emperor Taizong asking Wei Zheng what makes a ruler clear-sighted or unenlightened. Wei Zheng answers with the compact contrast 兼听则明，偏信则暗. This exchange helped make the saying familiar. The advice is to hear different sides before judging, not to assume that every account is equally reliable or that the majority must always be right.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
兼听则明，决定之前我们应该听听客服和技术团队的意见。
Hearing different sides improves judgment; before deciding, we should listen to customer support and the technical team.
Often paired with 偏信则暗; encourages broad consultation before forming a judgment.