What comes from you returns to you
In modern Chinese, this refers to when one's behavior is contradictory or inconsistent. Originally, this phrase was used to indicate that others would treat you like you treated them
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副总统受到谴责，说他在几个重大问题上出尔反尔 | Fù zǒngtǒng shòudào qiǎnzé, shuō tā zài jǐ gè zhòngdà wèntí shàng chū'ěrfǎn'ěr
The vice president was accused of flip-flopping on almost every single major issue
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他说过他会来的，他怎么能出尔反尔呢？ | Tā shuōguò tā huì lái de, tā zěnme néng chū'ěrfǎn'ěr ne?
He said he would come. How could he go back on his word?
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《孟子》(Mèng Zǐ), a classic Confucian work written by the philosopher of the same name. The work is often known in English as "The Book of Mencius."
During the Warring States Period (战国时期 | Zhàn Guó Shí Qī, 475 - 221 BC), the two states of 邹国 (Zōu Guó) and 鲁国 (Lǔ Guó) fought against one another.
At one point, thirty-three officials from 邹国 were killed by the enemy army. The ruler of 邹国, 邹穆公 (Zōu Mù Gōng), found out that hundreds of 邹国 civilians had watched the massacre without taking any steps to intervene, and he grew extremely displeased.
He said to 孟子 (Mèng Zǐ, or the Confucian scholar Mencius), "Not a single civilian attempted to intervene. I can't punish them by killing them, as their numbers are too great. However, if I don't kill them, they won't be any more inclined to help officials in similar situations. What can I do?"
孟子 replied, "When there was a famine, the weak and the elderly died out in the wilderness, while over a thousand of the strong fled in search of better conditions. As this happened, your grain stores and treasury were full, but no official bothered to help or let you know about the situation. This demonstrates their cruelty and lack of concern for the average person's welfare. As I have said in the past, others will treat you as you have treated them. Now is the time for the civilians' retribution, and you can't blame them. You should treat them better, and then they will naturally sacrifice themselves for you."