Chinese Idiom: 自以为是 (Zi Yi Wei Shi)
English Translation: Self-righteous
pīn yīn: zì yǐ wéi shì
Idiom Meaning: This idiom describes a person who acts subjectively and arbitrarily without investigation or research, thinking they are always right and lacking humility.
Historical Source: “The Tale of the World” (《警世通言》)
Idiom Story:
Wang Anshi, a prominent politician and literary figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, returned to his hometown of Jinling (modern-day Nanjing) after the failure of his reforms. One day, a younger official in his forties visited him. Wang Anshi warmly welcomed him, and they enjoyed the mountain scenery together, sharing poetry and literature. After a few days, the visitor took his leave, prompting Wang Anshi to express his feelings: “I wonder how many years it will be until I meet someone as talented as him.” This visitor was Su Shi, one of the greatest literary figures of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Despite their differing views on reforms, Su Shi and Wang Anshi maintained a close personal relationship and often discussed literature and scholarship.
Once, after returning to the capital from another place, Su Shi visited Wang Anshi, who was then serving as the prime minister. Finding Wang Anshi’s incomplete poem on his writing desk, Su Shi read the lines:
“Last night’s west wind reached the garden, blowing down yellow flowers all over the ground.”
The yellow flowers referred to are chrysanthemums. Su Shi thought to himself, laughing silently. He believed that yellow chrysanthemums, which bloom in late autumn, are resilient enough to withstand the autumn frost. Even if they withered, they wouldn’t easily fall. With a spirit of competition, he added two lines to mock Wang Anshi:
“Autumn flowers do not fall like spring flowers; tell the poet to ponder carefully.”
Later, Su Shi was appointed to a position in Huangzhou. At that time of year, he invited friends to enjoy the chrysanthemums. To his surprise, he found “under the chrysanthemum fence, there lay a golden carpet, with not a single blossom left on the branches.”
It was at that moment that Su Shi realized he had been mistaken. His previous understanding—that chrysanthemums do not easily lose their petals—was only partial knowledge. He learned that “one cannot see everything; there are exceptions in the world.” The error lay in his lack of investigation and inquiry, as he had been self-righteous, misjudging the situation and wrongly criticizing Wang Anshi.
This story serves as a caution against arrogance and the importance of humility and thorough understanding when forming opinions. The idiom “自以为是” reminds us to seek knowledge and to remain open-minded rather than assuming we are always correct.
