自知之明

zìzhīzhīmíng

idiom #21,572

Meanings

1 self-knowledge
2 the wisdom to know oneself
3 self-awareness

Characters

to know; knowledge

structural particle (possessive/linking)

bright; clear-sighted; wisdom

Examples

人贵有自知之明，知道自己的优缺点才能进步。

Rén guì yǒu zìzhī zhī míng, zhīdào zìjǐ de yōuquēdiǎn cái néng jìnbù.

It is admirable to have self-knowledge — only by knowing your strengths and weaknesses can you improve.

他缺乏自知之明，总是高估自己的能力。

Tā quēfá zìzhī zhī míng, zǒngshì gāogū zìjǐ de nénglì.

He lacks self-awareness and always overestimates his abilities.

Tips

history

From the Tao Te Ching (道德经) by Laozi: 「知人者智，自知者明」— 'Knowing others is wisdom; knowing oneself is enlightenment.' 自知之明 distills this into a four-character idiom emphasizing that self-knowledge is the highest form of wisdom.

Stroke Order

自 zì

知 zhī

之 zhī

明 míng