开诚布公

Origin and story

Chen Shou's appraisal in the Sanguozhi biography of Zhuge Liang describes his conduct as chief minister. It says that he opened his sincere heart and upheld public fairness. The surrounding account makes the principle concrete: useful loyalty could earn reward even from an enemy, while a relative's misconduct did not escape punishment.

The later idiom compresses 开诚心，布公道 into four characters. Its original emphasis joins sincerity to impartial administration, rather than merely revealing information. Modern use often describes a frank conversation in which people put their concerns openly before one another. The ideal is honest, fair dealing, not bluntness pursued without consideration for others.