📖 Meaning
To put oneself in another person's position and consider things from their perspective. It encourages empathy by imagining how you would feel if you were in their situation. The idiom advocates treating others with the understanding and kindness you would want for yourself.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Song Dynasty scholar Zhu Xi's work "Zhuzi Yulei" (Conversations of Master Zhu), in the section on "The Great Learning, Part Three." Zhu Xi cited it as a popular saying, noting that if people would compare their own hearts with others' hearts, then all would find balance and fairness. The phrase embodies the Confucian ideal of empathy and mutual consideration. It later appeared in Ming Dynasty literature, including Tang Xianzu's play "The Tale of the Purple Hairpin."
💡 Example Usage
做人要将心比心，才能赢得他人的尊重。
One should put oneself in others' shoes in order to earn their respect.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 将心比心
- Pinyin: jiāng xīn bǐ xīn
- Literal Translation: take, heart, compare, heart
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4