独善其身 (dú shàn qí shēn) — to look after one's own moral cultivation (original classical sense); (derogatory) to be self-absorbed, to care only about oneself and ignore others
Definition
Literally 'to perfect only oneself' — originally a Confucian ideal of moral self-cultivation, now usually used critically for someone who only minds their own virtue and ignores the world or other people.
idiom
to look after one's own moral cultivation (original classical sense)(derogatory) to be self-absorbed, to care only about oneself and ignore others
Examples
- ，独善其身，。Zài zhè ge shè huì lǐ, wǒ men bù néng zhī dú shàn qí shēn, yě yào guān xīn tā rén.In this society, we can't just look after ourselves — we also need to care about others.
- 独善其身。Tā nà zhǒng dú shàn qí shēn de tài dù ràng tóng shì men hěn bù mǎn.His self-absorbed attitude made his colleagues very unhappy.
- ，独善其身。Rú jiā sī xiǎng qiáng diào xiū shēn qí jiā zhì guó píng tiān xià, ér bú shì dú shàn qí shēn.Confucian thought emphasizes cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world — not just looking after oneself.
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