Chinese people have traditionally been good at drawing lessons from the ordinary things of life. Below are some of the most common wisdom sayings that give practical life advice.
The most time-honored and popular Chinese sayings present wisdom or a concept in short pithy idiom. Many have just four Chinese characters.
This Chinese web saying is recorded in the Urban Dictionary. It's like:"Don't poke the bear."
According to the book "Huainanzi — Lessons of the Human World", an old man living in a border region lost his horse and people came to comfort him. But he said, "This may be a blessing in disguise, who knows?" Indeed, the horse later returned to the man and brought him a better horse.
This proverb tells us that if a trivial problem is not solved in time, it will become a serious and knotty one. Similar to: "A stitch in time saves nine."
Similar to "what comes up must come down", this proverb points out that: things reverse when they reach their extremes. It's from the 18th century novel "A Dream of Red Mansions".
I.e. 'doing beats reading' or 'experience beats theory'.
I.e. if too many people try to do something, like three monks trying to carry one bucket of water, they make a mess of it.
一笑解千愁。 (Yīxiàojiěqiānchou. 'one smile undoes 1,000 worries') — A smile dispels many worries.
笑一笑,十年少。 (Xiàoyīxiào, shíniánshào. 'laugh,ten years younger') — Happiness is the best cosmetic.
美名胜过美貌。 (Měimíngshèngguòměimào. 'beautiful name beats beautiful looks') — A good name is better than a good face.
不善始者不善终。 (Búshànshǐzhěbùshànzhōng. 'not good starter not good end') — A bad beginning makes a bad ending.
大处着眼，小处着手。(Dàchùzhuóyǎn, xiǎochùzhuóshǒu. 'big points apply eye; small points apply hand') — Keep the general goal in sight while tackling daily tasks.
This proverb advises us to always keep the overall situation in mind, and be far-sighted, while we set our hands to mundane business.
Work steadily and make solid progress.
I.e. "each to his own", "horses for courses", or "every kettle has its lid".
I.e. "Where there is life, there is hope."
一鸟在手胜过双鸟在林。 (Yīniǎozàishǒushèngguòshuāngniǎozàilín 'one bird in hand beats pair birds in forest') — A bird in the hand is worth than two in the bush.
人无完人，金无足赤。(Rénwúwánrén, jīnwúzúchì. 'man lackperfect man; gold lack enoughred') — No man is a perfect man; no gold is sufficiently bare.
It is as impossible to find a perfect man as it is to find 100 percent pure gold.I.e. "no-one's perfect".
