諺語 · a single proverb
知止不殆
What does 知止不殆 (zhī zhǐ bù dài) mean?
知止不殆 (zhī zhǐ bù dài) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "know stopping, not in danger." In use it means: Knowing when to stop keeps one out of danger; the wisdom of knowing one's limits. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "know stopping, not in danger."
The reading
The one who does not know where to stop will eventually overstep, and overstepping has its own gravity. To know the edge and choose not to approach it is not timidity but the exercise of a particular kind of wisdom: the map that includes the limit is more useful than the one that imagines the territory is unlimited. Know where enough is.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Te Ching 道德經·第四十四章 (Chapter 44)
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 知止不殆 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 知止不殆 (zhī zhǐ bù dài) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Tao Te Ching 道德經·第四十四章 (Chapter 44). 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 知止不殆?
In Mandarin it is zhī zhǐ bù dài. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 知止不殆 aloud in Mandarin.