見jiàn義yì思sī義yì，見jiàn危wēi授shòu命mìng

What does 見義思義，見危授命 (jiàn yì sī yì jiàn wēi shòu mìng) mean?

見義思義，見危授命 (jiàn yì sī yì jiàn wēi shòu mìng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "see righteousness, think of righteousness; see danger, give your life." In use it means: When you see what is right, act on it; when you see danger, be willing to sacrifice for it. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.

Literally: "see righteousness, think of righteousness; see danger, give your life."

The reading

The full expression of commitment is only visible when tested at the extreme, and the test of extreme danger is the final examination of whether the values were genuinely held or only comfortably professed. Those who act in the crisis reveal not what they decided in that moment but what they had been deciding all along, in quieter moments that now stand confirmed. The character is consistent; only the visibility changes.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element火 Fire
• Zodiac tie狗 Year of the Dog

Source Analects of Confucius 論語·憲問 (Xiàn Wèn XIV)

Sits beside

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.