📖 Meaning
Literally meaning to climb over one's own short wall. It metaphorically refers to a person who personally violates the rules, laws, or standards of propriety that they themselves are bound by. The idiom criticizes the hypocrisy of breaking the very boundaries one ought to uphold.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Discourses of the States (国语), specifically the Wu chapter (吴语), a historical text compiled during the Spring and Autumn period. In the narrative, the King of Yue rebukes the King of Wu for overstepping his bounds — having extended his dominance over the Eastern Sea and gained an infamous reputation, the King of Wu nevertheless violates propriety himself. The phrase "君有短垣而自逾之" means "you have a short wall, yet you climb over it yourself," condemning the ruler for personally transgressing the very limits he should respect.
💡 Example Usage
身为立法者却短垣自逾，如何能服众？
How can a lawmaker who personally violates his own rules expect to command public respect?
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 短垣自逾
- Pinyin: duǎn yuán zì yú
- Literal Translation: short, wall, self, cross over
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4