Several years ago, I wrote an article detailing 10 valuable Chinese proverbs, which I’d discovered in a 1937 book from Stanford University Press containing 700 such tidbits of wisdom.
I later revisited the book and found numerous other apt sayings about living life well, 10 more of which I’d like to share below.
To Cut Down Grass is Not as Good as Uprooting It.
If a problem needs to go away, getting rid of its manifestations isn’t enough. Suppose a teenager has a sullen attitude about not getting a car. Is it truly enough to give him a car and declare the problem solved? Better to change the sullenness (the roots) rather than the grass (the way sullenness comes out).
Beauty Does Not Ensnare Men; They Ensnare Themselves.
It’s easy to point to tempting external forces – wealth, power, beauty, etc. – and say that they are why we do what we know to be wrong. But this proverb – alongside the whole of the orthodox Christian tradition – assures us that our problems do not first begin with what’s around us; they begin with how we respond to them.
In a way, this proverb recalls another American proverb: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.”
A Man Without a Smiling Face Should Not Open a Shop.
Honestly, this proverb just made me smile. I spent several years working in customer-service-oriented jobs, and smiling – even when I didn’t feel like it – was a big part of my job.
Even for those who aren’t in customer-service-oriented positions, this proverb points out a broader principle of interacting with others. A pleasant demeanor can get us a long way.
If You Don’t Want Anyone to Know It, Don’t Do It.
On numerous occasions growing up, I heard my dad say that character was who you were when no one was watching. The impetus of the definition closely parallels this proverb – often, we feel far freer to do wrong when we’re alone.
This proverb reminds us that the surest way to keep a clean reputation, like one of the surest ways to keep a clean character, is to always live the way we’d want to if we knew someone was watching.
Mischief All Comes from Much Opening of the Mouth.
Sometimes, silence is hugely beneficial. It can foster better listening, help you learn from others’ thoughts, and signal wisdom in showing that you know how to keep quiet.
The tongue, in contrast, can be quite dangerous; used wrongly, it breeds bitterness, conflict, and all sorts of other wrongs. We would do well to, as the book of James instructs us, to be “slow to speak.”
A Single Kind Word Keeps One Warm for Three Winters.
Just as the mouth has great capacity for evil, it also has a great capacity for good. Most of us can recall a time at which someone’s kind words encouraged, rejuvenated, or inspired us. And those words don’t just benefit us at the time they’re spoken; often, we find them comforting long after they have left the speaker’s mouth.
Don’t Meddle in Useless Matters; the Sun is Setting in the West.
Our time alive is finite, so it makes good sense to use it in activities with purpose and direction. Ultimately, this will allow us to live to the end of our life satisfied that we have done what is best for ourselves and those around us.
If the Heart is Firm, the Body is Cool.
I liked this proverb as much for its literary prowess as its truth. The statement can be taken both literally and figuratively. Literally, a firm heart means death, resulting in a cool body. But figuratively, resolve (a firm heart) results in peace (a cool body). Sometimes, the way to attain increased calmness about a feeling, person, or situation is to settle on a clear course of action.
A Wise Man Makes His Own Decisions; an Ignorant Man Follows Public Opinion.
While our current culture’s enamorment with independence may not always be helpful, this proverb helpfully warns against going along with the crowd thoughtlessly. Some matters are worth resigning to trust; others are significant enough to deserve careful thought and consideration.
Do Not Think Any Vice Trivial, and So Practice It; Do Not Think Any Virtue Trivial, and So Neglect It.
This proverb recalls the words of the often-recited Christian confession: “We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done.” The confession reflects the idea that we commit both sins of commission – doing what we shouldn’t do – and sins of omission – failing to do what we should do. This proverb reminds us that both types of sin must be avoided, as the vice and virtue involved are always significant.
More Proverbs
Proverbs are valuable because, though holding great truths, they don’t overwhelm the listener with words. If you’re unfamiliar with reading collections of these pithy sayings, this book of Chinese proverbs is fascinating. But you should also consider reading the book of Proverbs from the Bible – it’s easily the most-read collection of proverbs in all of history.
Aletheia Hitz is an editor/writer by vocation, philosopher by training, and poet at heart. She’s currently working toward her Master's in theology, and she aspires to spend her life in pursuit of the infinite beauty of God.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email [email protected]. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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