諺語 · a single proverb
仁者見仁，智者見智
Simplified: 仁者见仁，智者见智
What does 仁者見仁，智者見智 (rén zhě jiàn rén zhì zhě jiàn zhì) mean?
仁者見仁，智者見智 (rén zhě jiàn rén zhì zhě jiàn zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "benevolent sees benevolence, wise sees wisdom." In use it means: Different people see the same thing differently based on their own nature. 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: "benevolent sees benevolence, wise sees wisdom."
The reading
The same mountain in autumn looks like sorrow to one painter and abundance to another, and neither is wrong. Every eye is also a lens ground by the life behind it. Understanding why another person sees what they see is the beginning of real conversation.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Yi Jing 易經·繫辭上 (Xì Cí I)
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 仁者見仁，智者見智 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 仁者見仁，智者見智 (rén zhě jiàn rén zhì zhě jiàn zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Yi Jing 易經·繫辭上 (Xì Cí I). 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 仁者見仁，智者見智?
In Mandarin it is rén zhě jiàn rén zhì zhě jiàn zhì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 仁者見仁，智者見智 aloud in Mandarin.