Home / Chinese Wisdom Cards / 忍一时风平浪静,退一步海阔天空
Social Rules Deep

忍一时风平浪静,退一步海阔天空

rěn yī shí fēng píng làng jìng, tuì yī bù hǎi kuò tiān kōng
Endure a moment, and the storm passes; step back, and the sky opens up.

Endure for a moment, wind calms and waves settle; retreat one step, sea is wide and sky is empty.

This saying advises patience and humility in conflicts. It t...

This saying advises patience and humility in conflicts. It teaches that by holding back your anger or pride, you can avoid disaster and open up new possibilities for peace and success.

Rooted in Taoist and Confucian ideas of flexibility and harmony, this proverb is a common mantra for managing anger and interpersonal disputes in Chinese society.

Someone might say this to a friend who is about to start a shouting match with a neighbor over a parking spot, urging them to let it go to keep the peace.

This is a classic advice for conflict resolution, urging patience and compromise to avoid escalation. It signals that humility and self-control are signs of strength, not weakness. In Chinese culture, preserving harmony is often more important than being right.

#patience #humility #social-rules #relationships

Discover More Chinese Sayings

Draw random cards from hundreds of real Chinese folk sayings and proverbs. Each flip reveals what Chinese people actually mean.

🎴 Play Chinese Wisdom Cards