📖 Meaning
Literally 'not ashamed of being last.' It means not feeling ashamed for coming in last place in a competition. The idiom metaphorically teaches that as long as one perseveres to the very end, one can achieve one's goal—what matters is finishing, not finishing first.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from 'Han Feizi: Illustrating Laozi' (《韩非子·喻老》) by Han Fei of the Warring States period. The passage describes the art of chariot racing, noting that when a driver's attention is divided—focused on pleasing his lord rather than on coordinating with his horses—he inevitably falls behind. Han Fei uses this to illustrate that losing position is not itself shameful; what matters is maintaining focus and seeing the contest through to completion. Later writers, notably Lu Xun in his essay collection 'Huagai Ji: Bu Bai,' invoked this teaching to encourage perseverance over the pursuit of being first.
💡 Example Usage
在人生的马拉松中，不耻最后的人终会到达终点。
In the marathon of life, those who are not ashamed of coming last will eventually reach the finish line.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 不耻最后
- Pinyin: bù chǐ zuì hòu
- Literal Translation: not, ashamed, last
- Category: Perseverance
- Characters: 4