諺語 · a single proverb
謙虛使人進步
Simplified: 谦虚使人进步
What does 謙虛使人進步 (qiān xū shǐ rén jìn bù) mean?
謙虛使人進步 (qiān xū shǐ rén jìn bù) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "humility leads to progress." In use it means: Staying humble keeps you open to learning and growth; the moment you think you know enough is the moment you stop improving. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "humility leads to progress."
The reading
The humble person has a door that stays open. Information walks through it, correction walks through it, opportunity walks through it. The arrogant person closed the door because the room felt full enough. But the room is never full enough, and closing the door does not stop the world from producing new things. It only stops you from receiving them.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mao Zedong; rooted in classical Confucian and Daoist thought
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 謙虛使人進步 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 謙虛使人進步 (qiān xū shǐ rén jìn bù) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Mao Zedong; rooted in classical Confucian and Daoist thought. 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 謙虛使人進步?
In Mandarin it is qiān xū shǐ rén jìn bù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 謙虛使人進步 aloud in Mandarin.