# Fair standards in Chen Shou’s account: meaning and business applications

Make evaluation criteria and their consequences understandable.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/zhuge-liang/fair-standards

## Source and summary

[Records of the Three Kingdoms · Chen Shou’s appraisal of Zhuge Liang](https://ctext.org/text.pl?if=en&node=603529&remap=gb)

> 盡忠益時者雖讎必賞，犯法怠慢者雖親必罰。

Chen Shou’s appraisal describes rewarding service despite enmity and addressing violations despite close ties. It is not a quotation by Zhuge Liang.

## Editorial interpretation

Keep evaluation standards independent of relationships

Apply the idea to consistent, explainable evaluation. The adaptation does not transfer ancient punishments into modern practice.

## Business application

When equivalent contributions appear to receive different evaluations based on personal relationships.

1. Write the contribution criteria, supporting evidence and exception conditions before evaluating.
2. Apply the same criteria to equivalent cases and check that the reasoning can be explained.

Deliverable: An evaluation proposal showing behaviors, evidence and reasons for exceptions.

## Limits

Fairness is not identical treatment. Explain how relevant differences in roles and circumstances affect evaluation.

## Validation question

Do equivalent conditions produce equivalent outcomes, and are differences explainable?

[Zhuge Liang: strategy and fair standards](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/zhuge-liang)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/zhuge-liang/fair-standards.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0