梁上君子

有一天晚上，有一小偷溜到陈寔家里，躲藏在屋梁上面，想趁机偷窃。

陈寔知道屋梁上面有人，并未喊人捉拿他，而是把子孙们叫到面前训示：每个人都应该要努力上进，勿走上邪路。作坏事的人并不是生来就坏，只是平常不学好，慢慢养成了坏习惯。本来也可以是正人君子的却变成了小人，不要学梁上君子的行为，（「夫人不可不自勉。不善之人未必本恶，习以性成，遂至于此。梁上君子者是矣！」），小偷感惭交并，下地叩头请罪。陈寔勉励他改恶向善，并赠丝绢布匹于屋梁上的盗贼，自此县里不再发生窃盗的事。

后人常以「陈寔遗盗」比喻义行善举。如：「他以诚心义气感化宵小流氓，导之于正途，可谓深具陈寔遗盗的精神。」

难兄难弟

陈寔曾评论陈纪、陈谌俩兄弟说：「元方难为兄，季方难为弟」，即两人难分高下之意。

荣誉

南朝陈的开国君主高祖武皇帝陈霸先，源自颍川陈氏家族，以陈寔为先祖。564年（天嘉5年），陈文帝追封为康乐侯。569年（太建元年），陈宣帝加封颍川侯。

世系图

注释

Life

Chen Shi was the father of Chen Ji and the grandfather of Chen Qun. As he was the mayor (长) of Taiqui County, he acquired a nickname Chen Taiqui. He was the primogenitor of surname Chen of Yingchuan (颍川) and the central figure of the Qingliu school (清流派) in the Yingchuan (颍川) region.

Though he was raised at an impoverished family, he loved books and studies at early years. As he was the person of rightfulness, prejudiceless and generous, he was held in high repute among the common people. However, as he objected the eunuchs' abuse of power, he was prevented from holding government positions by the Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions. As he was prevented from government services, he lived a hermit life at his hometown. Whenever a civil lawsuit occurred, local residents used to call him to preside the case. Whenever consulted, Chen Shi provided them results that are consistent with reason, no one complained to him, such that it was said that "if you met the case that makes you feel that Chen Shi's decision was wrong, then it would be better to accept results in any way.".

After the Prohibitions were relieved, He Jin sent a messenger and called Chen Shi to his ministration, but Chen Shi did not accept He Jin's offer and died soon after.

When he died in 187, 30,000 crowd assembled at his funeral, and the number of those who wore mourning dress exceeded 100.

Descendants

Chen Baxian, the founding emperor of the Chen dynasty, traces his ancestry to Chen Shi. The Buddhist monk Chen Hui or Xuanzang also descends from Chen Shi.