见利忘义 (jiàn lì-wàng yì) — (idiom) to forsake moral principles for the sake of profit
Definition
A chengyu describing someone who drops moral principles the moment profit appears. Like 损人利己 it condemns selfish gain, but focuses on betraying one's own ethics rather than harming others.
idiom
to forsake moral principles for the sake of profit
Examples
- 见利忘义，。Tā zhè ge rén jiàn lì-wàng yì, qiān wàn bié hé tā zuò shēng yi.He's someone who abandons principles for profit — don't ever do business with him.
- 见利忘义，。Gōng sī rú guǒ jiàn lì-wàng yì, chí zǎo huì shī qù kè hù de xìn rèn.If a company prioritizes profit over ethics, it will sooner or later lose customer trust.
- ，。Zài jù dà de lì yì miàn qián, néng jiān chí yuán zé bú jiàn lì-wàng yì de rén hěn shǎo.Few people can stick to their principles and not forget morality when faced with huge profits.
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