諺語 · a single proverb
知足不辱，知止不殆
What does 知足不辱，知止不殆 (zhī zú bù rǔ zhī zhǐ bù dài) mean?
知足不辱，知止不殆 (zhī zú bù rǔ zhī zhǐ bù dài) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "knowing sufficiency avoids disgrace; knowing when to stop avoids danger." In use it means: Contentment protects your dignity, and restraint protects your safety; both are forms of knowing your limit. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "knowing sufficiency avoids disgrace; knowing when to stop avoids danger."
The reading
The person who stops at the right moment keeps everything they gained. The one who reaches for one more handful risks losing the entire armful. Knowing your limit is not timidity. It is the final move of someone who has decided to keep what they have.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Te Ching 道德經, ch. 44 (Laozi)
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 知足不辱，知止不殆 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 知足不辱，知止不殆 (zhī zú bù rǔ zhī zhǐ bù dài) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Tao Te Ching 道德經, ch. 44 (Laozi). 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 知足不辱，知止不殆?
In Mandarin it is zhī zú bù rǔ 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 知足不辱，知止不殆 aloud in Mandarin.