諺語 · a single proverb
自相矛盾
What does 自相矛盾 (zì xiāng máo dùn) mean?
自相矛盾 (zì xiāng máo dùn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "his own spear against his own shield." In use it means: Contradicting yourself destroys your credibility; your claims must be consistent. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "his own spear against his own shield."
The reading
He sold a spear that could pierce anything and a shield that could block anything. Someone asked what happens when the spear hits the shield. He had no answer. Every system that claims to be everything collapses when it meets itself.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Feizi 韓非子, Nan Yi 難一
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 自相矛盾 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 自相矛盾 (zì xiāng máo dùn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Han Feizi 韓非子, Nan Yi 難一. 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 自相矛盾?
In Mandarin it is zì xiāng máo dùn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 自相矛盾 aloud in Mandarin.