自以为是

Pronunciation: zì yǐ wéi shì Literal meaning: Considering oneself to be right

Origin & Usage

The label is Confucius's: 乡原，德之贼也, the man everyone in the village finds agreeable is the thief of virtue. Mencius takes the saying up when Wan Zhang asks him what it can possibly mean, and explains it — such a man is pleasing to all, takes his own view (自以为) to be right (是), and cannot be brought into the way of Yao and Shun. The fault is self-certainty rather than error: somebody who is wrong can be argued with, and this person cannot, because nothing about him invites correction. A self-assurance sealed against being corrected.

Examples

English: "His arrogance prevents him from accepting any criticism."

Chinese: 他自以为是，无法接受任何批评。