见贤思齐
- Literal
- to see the worthy and think of equaling them
- Figurative
- On seeing someone worthy, to aspire to become their equal and take them as a model; to strive to measure up to those who are better than oneself.
Where does 见贤思齐 come from?
The phrase comes from the Analects of Confucius. In the chapter "Li Ren," the Master says: "When you see a worthy person, think of becoming their equal; when you see an unworthy one, examine yourself within." Confucius was not telling a story here but teaching an attitude of constant self-improvement: every encounter with another person is a chance to learn. The worthy serve as a mirror to aspire to, and the unworthy as a warning to review one's own faults. From this maxim the four words used today as an idiom were distilled.
Source (出处): 《论语·里仁》
How is 见贤思齐 used? Two examples
- 看到同学这么努力，我也学会了见贤思齐。
Seeing my classmates work so hard, I too learned to take them as a model and aspire to match them.
- 他总是见贤思齐，所以进步得特别快。
He always strives to emulate those who are better, which is why he improves especially fast.
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