以身作则
- Literal
- with oneself serving as the rule
- Figurative
- To lead by example, doing yourself what you ask of others so that your own conduct sets the standard; said above all of parents, teachers, and bosses.
Where does 以身作则 come from?
It does not come from a story: it is a transparently built set phrase. 以身 means "with one's own person" and 作则 "to serve as the rule," so you yourself become the standard that others follow. The idea is very old in Confucian thought: the 《论语》 says that if a ruler's own conduct is upright, he is obeyed without having to give orders. But the idiom does not come from that passage; the fixed form is later. Today it is said of parents, teachers, and bosses, almost always as praise or as a demand.
How is 以身作则 used? Two examples
- 想让孩子少玩手机，父母得先以身作则。
If you want kids on their phones less, parents have to set the example first.
- 新来的主管以身作则，最累的活儿都是自己先上。
The new supervisor leads by example: he is the first to take on the hardest jobs.
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