諺語 · a single proverb

立lì志zhì天tiān下xià

lì zhì tiān xià

What does 立志天下 (lì zhì tiān xià) mean?

立志天下 (lì zhì tiān xià) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "set your ambition on all under heaven." In use it means: Aim your life's purpose at something larger than yourself; personal ambition expands into meaning only when it includes the world. 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 Dragon.

Literally: "set your ambition on all under heaven."

The reading

The small ambition feeds one mouth. The large ambition feeds a province. The difference is not in the person's intelligence. It is in the frame they chose for the picture. You can do the same work at a larger scale if you decide, right now, that the scale matters. It does.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Common aspirational expression; Confucian and reform tradition

Sits beside

暗渡陳倉

àn dù chén cāng

Distracting the enemy with an obvious feint while your real move happens elsewhere.

運籌帷幄

yùn chóu wéi wò

Planning masterfully behind the scenes.

不動如山

bù dòng rú shān

Stay firm and steady when everything around you is in chaos.

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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 立志天下 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 立志天下 (lì zhì tiān xià) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common aspirational expression; Confucian and reform tradition. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.

How do you pronounce 立志天下?

In Mandarin it is lì zhì tiān xià. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 立志天下 aloud in Mandarin.