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独善其身

獨善其身
dúshànqíshēn
idiom #43,330

Meanings

  1. 1 to look after only oneself (idiom)
  2. 2 (originally) to cultivate one's own moral character in solitude
  3. 3 to mind one's own business while others suffer

Examples

在这种情况下，他只想独善其身。
Zài zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng xià, tā zhǐ xiǎng dúshànqíshēn.
In this situation, he only wants to look after himself.
作为领导，不能只想着独善其身。
Zuòwéi lǐngdǎo, bùnéng zhǐ xiǎngzhe dúshànqíshēn.
As a leader, you can't just think about looking after yourself.
古人说，穷则独善其身，达则兼济天下。
Gǔrén shuō, qióng zé dúshànqíshēn, dá zé jiānjì tiānxià.
The ancients said: when impoverished, cultivate yourself alone; when successful, benefit the whole world.

Tips

history
From 《孟子·尽心上》: 穷则独善其身，达则兼善天下 — 'when out of power, cultivate your own virtue; when in power, benefit the world.' Originally positive (a sage keeping his integrity in bad times). In modern usage, it has shifted to a mildly negative sense: minding your own business when you could help others.
register
Watch the shift: classical = virtuous self-cultivation; modern = selfish detachment. When quoting Mencius or in scholarly contexts, the original positive reading applies. In everyday criticism (领导独善其身), it is a reproach.

Stroke Order

独 dú
善 shàn
其 qí
身 shēn