諺語 · a single proverb
知其不可為而為之
Simplified: 知其不可为而为之
What does 知其不可為而為之 (zhī qí bù kě wéi ér wéi zhī) mean?
知其不可為而為之 (zhī qí bù kě wéi ér wéi zhī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "knowing it cannot be done yet doing it anyway." In use it means: Persisting in a righteous cause even when success seems impossible; moral commitment that transcends calculation of odds. 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: "knowing it cannot be done yet doing it anyway."
The reading
The math says no. The heart says try. Sometimes the act of trying is the point, not the result. The person who plants a tree they will never sit under is not confused about biology. They are clear about what matters.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects 論語, Book 14 (Xian Wen 憲問, ch. 38)
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 Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 知其不可為而為之 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 知其不可為而為之 (zhī qí bù kě wéi ér wéi zhī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Analects 論語, Book 14 (Xian Wen 憲問, ch. 38). 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 知其不可為而為之?
In Mandarin it is zhī qí bù kě wéi ér wéi zhī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 知其不可為而為之 aloud in Mandarin.