Chinese proverb — The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a person perfected without trials.
The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a person perfected without trials.Chinese proverb
Traditional Chinese proverb
The shine we admire in a gem is the memory of friction. Nothing smooth was ever made without something rough first working against it.
Your difficult days with English are the friction. They feel like resistance, but they are the polishing — the very thing that turns effort into fluency.
Words that widen the world
Resistance when one surface moves over another; conflict.
Synonyms: resistance, rubbing, tension
A gem is polished by friction.
A difficult or testing experience.
Synonyms: hardship, ordeal, test
Every trial shaped her a little more.
Common questions
It means just as friction polishes a gem, difficulties and challenges are what develop and refine a person's character.
It is a traditional Chinese proverb, sometimes attributed to Confucius; we mark it as attributed.
Carry it with you
In your own words, what does this thought mean to you? Write three or four sentences in English about a moment when it felt true — saying it yourself is how it stays with you.
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