Chinese Proverbs

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Lao Tzu

Chinese Proverbs are sayings which originate from famous Chinese philosophers and writers. Confucius and Lao Tzu are the most famous. there are hundreds of popular proverbs which usually give the reader an inspirational or motivational thought. They address all aspects of traditional Chinese society but are very applicable today. Here are some of my favorites.

“Dig the well before you are thirsty.”

“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.”

“Your teacher can open the door but you must enter by yourself.”

 “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”

The swiftest horse can’t overtake a word once spoken*

“We count our miseries carefully, and accept our blessings without much thought.”

“If you plan for one year, plant rice. If you plan for ten years, plant trees. If you plan for 100 years, educate mankind.”

 “A single conversation with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.”

“The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.” Xun Kuang

“A bird does not sing because he has the answer to something, he sings because he has a song.”

“Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it.”

“The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.”

“An invisible silk thread connects those who are destined to meet.”

Stay safe,

JAZ