天tiān將jiāng大dà任rèn於yú斯sī人rén也yě,，必bì先xiān苦kǔ其qí心xīn志zhì

What does 天將大任於斯人也，必先苦其心志 (tiān jiāng dà rèn yú sī rén yě, bì xiān kǔ qí xīn zhì) mean?

天將大任於斯人也，必先苦其心志 (tiān jiāng dà rèn yú sī rén yě, bì xiān kǔ qí xīn zhì) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "when heaven is about to entrust a great task to a person, it first tests their resolve through suffering." In use it means: Hardship is the prerequisite for great responsibility; struggle is preparation, not punishment. 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: "when heaven is about to entrust a great task to a person, it first tests their resolve through suffering."

The reading

The suffering is not arbitrary. It is the entrance exam. Heaven does not hand great work to untested hands. The hunger, the fatigue, the doubt: all of it is curriculum. When you look back from the other side, the difficulty will make sense as preparation. Right now, it just feels like difficulty. That is the test.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeshīcí 詩詞
• FocusLooks back
• Element火 Fire
• Zodiac tie龍 Year of the Dragon

Source Mencius 孟子, Gaozi 告子 chapter

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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.