various sages / refers to the classical schools of thought, e.g. Confucianism 儒[ru2] represented by Confucius 孔子[Kong3 zi3] and Mencius 孟子[Meng4 zi3], Daoism 道[dao4] by Laozi 老子[Lao3 zi3] and Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3], Mohism 墨[mo4] by Mozi 墨子[Mo4 zi3], Legalism 法[fa3] by Sunzi 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3] and Han Feizi 韓非子|韩非子[Han2 Fei1 zi3], and numerous others
孤家寡人
gū jiā guǎ rén
one who is cut off from others (idiom) / one who has chosen to follow a solitary path / (can also be an indirect way of referring to an unmarried person)
to abandon self for others (idiom, from Analects) / to sacrifice one's own interest for other people / altruism
自愧不如
zì kuì bù rú
ashamed of being inferior (idiom) / to feel inferior to others
隔岸观火
gé àn guān huǒ
to watch the fires burning across the river / to delay entering the fray until all others have been exhausted by fighting amongst themselves (idiom)
邯郸学步
Hán dān xué bù
to copy the way they walk in Handan (idiom) / slavishly copying others, one risks becoming a caricature
随声附和
suí shēng fù hè
to parrot other people's words (idiom) / to chime in with others
宽以待人
kuān yǐ dài rén
to be lenient with others (idiom)
不恤人言
bù xù rén yán
not to worry about the gossip (idiom) / to do the right thing regardless of what others say
不足为外人道
bù zú wéi wài rén dào
no use to tell others / let's keep this between ourselves (idiom)
傍人篱壁
bàng rén lí bì
to depend on others
传呼电话
chuán hū diàn huà
neighborhood telephone, with sb in charge of notifying others when they receive a call
公诸同好
gōng zhū tóng hào
to share pleasure in the company of others (idiom) / shared enjoyment with fellow enthusiasts
前无古人后无来者
qián wú gǔ rén hòu wú lái zhě
to surpass all others of its kind before and since / to have neither predecessors nor successors
因人成事
yīn rén chéng shì
to get things done relying on others (idiom) / with a little help from his friends
居功自傲
jū gōng zì ào
satisfied with one's accomplishment and arrogant as a result (idiom) / resting on one's laurels and despising others
从井救人
cóng jǐng jiù rén
to jump into a well to rescue sb else (idiom) / fig. to help others at the risk to oneself
急人之难
jí rén zhī nàn
anxious to help others resolve difficulties (idiom)
怀璧其罪
huái bì qí zuì
lit. treasuring a jade ring becomes a crime (idiom) / to get into trouble on account of a cherished item / fig. A person's talent will arouse the envy of others.
打小算盘
dǎ xiǎo suàn pán
lit. to count on a narrow abacus (idiom) / petty and scheming selfishly / concerned with petty interests / selfish and uncaring of the interests of others / bean counter
拔毛连茹
bá máo lián rú
lit. pull up a plant and the roots follow (idiom) / fig. also involving others / inextricably tangled together / Invite one and he'll tell all his friends.
摩顶放踵
mó dǐng fàng zhǒng
to rub one's head and heels (idiom) / to slave for the benefit of others / to wear oneself out for the general good
杀鸡儆猴
shā jī jǐng hóu
lit. killing the chicken to warn the monkey (idiom) / fig. to punish an individual as an example to others / pour encourager les autres
泥菩萨过江
ní pú sà guò jiāng
a clay Bodhisattva fording a river / unable to save oneself, let alone others
独行其是
dú xíng qí shì
to go one's own way (idiom) / to act independently without asking others
听见风就是雨
tīng jiàn fēng jiù shì yǔ
lit. on hearing wind, to say rain / to agree uncritically with whatever people say / to parrot other people's words / to chime in with others
落落难合
luò luò nán hé
a loner / someone who does not easily get along with others
虚己以听
xū jǐ yǐ tīng
to listen to the ideas of others with an open mind (idiom)
虱多不痒
shī duō bù yǎng
many fleas, but unconcerned (idiom) / no point in worrying about one debt when one has so many others / Troubles never come singly. / It never rains but it pours.
非异人任
fēi yì rén rèn
to bear one's own responsibilities and not pass them to others (idiom)
好为人师
hào wéi rén shī
to like to lecture others (idiom)
挂一漏万
guà yī lòu wàn
to mention some but omit many others (idiom) / to leave out much more than one includes
夫子自道
Fū zǐ zì dào
appearing to be praising others while actually praising yourself / one's criticism of others exposes one's own faults
引玉之砖
yǐn yù zhī zhuān
lit. a brick thrown to prompt others to produce a jade (idiom) / fig. a modest suggestion intended to prompt others to come forward with better ideas
hè