諺語 · a single proverb
臨危不懼
What does 臨危不懼 (lín wēi bù jù) mean?
臨危不懼 (lín wēi bù jù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "face danger without fear." In use it means: Face peril without flinching; remain composed in the face of danger. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "face danger without fear."
The reading
Fear is useful information about a threat; terror is fear that has taken over the operation. The one who faces danger without being consumed by fear is not without feeling but in possession of a stillness that thinks more clearly than panic. Composure in danger is not absence of alarm but mastery of the response to it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese idiom (common in heroic literature)
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 Tiger, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 臨危不懼 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 臨危不懼 (lín wēi bù jù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese idiom (common in heroic literature). 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 臨危不懼?
In Mandarin it is lín wēi bù jù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 臨危不懼 aloud in Mandarin.