Chinese Idiom: 自相矛盾 (Zi Xiang Mao Dun)
English Translation: Self-contradiction
pīn yīn: zì xiāng máo dùn
Idiom Meaning: This idiom describes a situation where someone’s statements or actions are contradictory, creating a conflict between different claims.
Historical Source: “Han Feizi” (《韩非子·难势》)
Idiom Story:
During the Warring States period in China, there was a merchant from the state of Chu who sold both spears and shields. One day, while hawking his wares in the marketplace, he boasted about the exceptional quality of his shields, proclaiming, “This shield is so strong that nothing can penetrate it.”
A short while later, he held up his spear and bragged, “This spear is so sharp that it can pierce through anything!”
Listening to his boasts, the people nearby could not help but laugh at his self-contradictory statements. One person finally asked him, “If your spear is able to pierce through anything, what would happen if you used it to stab your shield?”
The merchant was left speechless, unable to respond to the contradiction in his claims.
This story illustrates the folly of making contradictory assertions, leading to the idiom “自相矛盾,” which serves as a reminder to be consistent and coherent in our words and actions.
