Idiom Explanation:
Meaning that three people falsely report that there is a tiger in the street, and those who listen to them believe it. The metaphor is that when more people speak, they can make people take the rumors as facts. It means that people’s words can be feared or public opinion is very powerful.
Pronunciation:
三人成虎
sān rén chéng hǔ
origin:
战国·韩非《韩非子·内储说上》：庞恭与太子质于邯郸，谓魏王曰：“今一人言市有虎，王信之乎？”曰：“不信。”“二人言市有虎，王信之乎？”日：“不信。”“三人言市有虎，王信之乎？”王曰：“寡人信之。”庞恭曰：“夫市之无虎也明矣，然而，三人言而成虎。今邯郸之去魏也远于市，议臣者过于三人，愿王察之。”庞恭从邯郸反，竞不得见 。
story:
During the Warring States period, two states with adjacent borders, Wei and Zhao, entered into a friendship pact. In order to make the alliance more effective, the two countries decided to exchange hostages as guarantors between them. Therefore, the king of Wei sent one of his sons to Handan, the capital city of Zhao, as a hostage. For the safety of his son, the king of Wei decided to send his minister, Pang Gong, to accompany him to the state of Zhao.
Pang Gong was a very talented minister of Wei, and there were some bureaucrats in the court who opposed him, so he was very worried that someone would take advantage of the opportunity to frame him after he left the king of Wei. So, before his departure, he said to the king of Wei, “Your Majesty, if a man says that a tiger has come up on the street, do you believe him or not?”
The king of Wei replied without hesitation, “I don’t believe it. How could a tiger come into the street?” Then Pangong asked, “If two people say to you that a tiger has come into the street, do you believe them?” The king of Wei replied, “If two people say so, I will have some half-belief.” Pangong asked again helplessly, “If three people come to you and say that a tiger has come to the street, do you believe them?” The king of Wei hesitated for a moment and replied, “If everyone says so, then I will have to believe it!”
Hearing this answer from the king of Wei, Pang Gong became more worried. He sighed and said, “Your Majesty, you think, a tiger will not run into the street, this is something everyone knows. But when three people said so, you think there is a tiger on the street. Handan is much farther from our capital of Wei, Daliang, than the royal palace is from the street, and there may be more than three people talking about me behind my back.”
When the king of Wei understood what Pangong meant, he nodded and said, “I know what’s on your mind, so just go in peace! I won’t doubt your loyalty just because I heard some people bad-mouthing you.” With that, Pang Gong accompanied the king of Wei’s son to Handan.
Not long after Pang Gong left, indeed, many people spoke badly of Pang Gong to the king of Wei. At first, the king of Wei always defended Pang Gong, pointing out that he was a talented and loyal minister. Sadly, when Pang Gong’s political enemies repeatedly bad-mouthed Pang Gong to the king of Wei, the king of Wei actually believed it. Later, after Pang Gong returned to Wei from Zhao, the king of Wei never allowed Pang Gong to visit him again.
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