寧nìng為wéi雞jī頭tóu，不bù為wéi牛niú後hòu

What does 寧為雞頭，不為牛後 (nìng wéi jī tóu bù wéi niú hòu) mean?

寧為雞頭，不為牛後 (nìng wéi jī tóu bù wéi niú hòu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox." In use it means: Better to be a leader of something small than a follower at the tail of something large. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.

Literally: "rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox."

The reading

The rooster's head has the view, the decision, and the responsibility; the ox's tail has the flies and the obligation to follow. Scale matters less than position, and the domain small enough to be understood and led is worth more than the large domain where you are only one of the indistinguishable back legs. Lead what you can actually lead.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element金 Metal
• Zodiac tie雞 Year of the Rooster

Source Warring States 戰國策·韓策 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Han Strategies)

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 Rooster, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.