How to Read “Those who wish to win over others must first win over themselves”
Hito ni katan to hossuru mono wa, kanarazu mazu mizukara katsu
Meaning of “Those who wish to win over others must first win over themselves”
This proverb means that to win over others, you must first conquer yourself. “Winning over yourself” refers to overcoming your inner enemies like weakness, laziness, desires, and fears.
Imagine competing in sports, studies, or work. Many people focus only on their opponents. But the real obstacle is actually inside you.
The urge to skip practice, the weakness that makes you want to quit, the lack of focus—these inner enemies are your biggest barriers.
People use this proverb to encourage someone facing a challenge or to remind themselves to stay disciplined. It’s used when you want to emphasize self-control over comparing yourself to others.
Even today, athletes and business leaders who pursue high goals value this way of thinking.
Origin and Etymology
The exact source of this proverb is debated. But it likely comes from ancient Chinese philosophy, especially Confucianism and military strategy.
The idea of “winning over yourself” connects deeply with the concept of self-cultivation that ancient Chinese thinkers valued.
The word “win” doesn’t just mean victory in battle. It also means controlling and overcoming yourself.
Ancient generals and philosophers believed that fighting your own desires and weaknesses was harder than fighting external enemies. This philosophy came to Japan and became part of the samurai code.
The expression “those who wish to win over others” uses classical Japanese grammar. “Wish to” means “desire to,” and “win over” expresses intention.
This formal style suggests the proverb was used among educated people like samurai and scholars.
The phrase “must first win over themselves” emphasizes the order of things. You must win the battle with yourself before competing with others.
This shows the stages of self-cultivation.
Usage Examples
- If you want to beat your rival, remember that those who wish to win over others must first win over themselves—you need to face your own weaknesses first
- She keeps running every morning. She must be practicing the idea that those who wish to win over others must first win over themselves
Universal Wisdom
This proverb reveals a fundamental law of human growth. Why do people get so caught up in competing with others?
Because facing your inner self is actually the most difficult and painful work.
External enemies are easy to see. How to deal with them is clear. But the enemies inside you—laziness, fear, pride, desire—keep changing shape.
They create excuses and keep tempting you. The battle with these inner enemies never ends. Every day brings a new challenge.
Ancient people understood this human nature deeply. No matter how great your strategy or skills, you can never achieve true victory if you can’t control yourself.
Throughout history, countless talented people failed because they couldn’t manage themselves.
This proverb has been passed down through generations because humans haven’t fundamentally changed. Modern people and ancient people both struggle with their weaknesses.
They both almost give in to temptation. They both face the same difficulty in disciplining themselves.
True strength isn’t the power to defeat others. It’s the power to control yourself. This proverb teaches us this universal truth.
When AI Hears This
Control engineering has a theorem called the “internal model principle.” To accurately control something, the controller must have an internal model that perfectly predicts how that thing behaves.
For example, if a robot arm wants to stop a swinging pendulum, it needs a program that completely understands the physics of pendulums.
Here’s what’s interesting. When humans try to influence other people, the target is another “human” just like themselves.
The best model for understanding others is actually yourself. People who can’t control their own emotions, desires, and thought patterns can’t build an accurate internal model of others.
Why? Because they don’t even understand themselves—the easiest sample to observe.
Control theory also shows that you can’t create a controller more complex than what it controls. The brain of someone without self-control contains unpredictable chaos.
Trying to control others in that state just makes the controller itself a source of noise. It’s like trying to adjust room temperature with a broken thermometer.
This principle mathematically demonstrates that self-control is a “prerequisite” for influencing others.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people to face themselves honestly before comparing themselves to others on social media or feeling anxious about a rival’s success.
In today’s world, other people’s achievements are highly visible. Every time you see someone succeed, you might feel like you’re falling behind.
But the real question isn’t “Am I better than that person?” It’s “Have I grown compared to yesterday’s me?”
Inside you, there’s potential you haven’t discovered yet. The key to unlocking it is the courage to acknowledge your weaknesses and face them.
The you who can’t wake up in the morning. The you who gives up easily. The you who makes excuses. Winning over that version of yourself, little by little, is the path to real growth.
Competition with others is really just the result of your battle with yourself. Every day, even just a little, try to surpass yesterday’s you.
That accumulation will eventually create a big difference. Your greatest rival is always yourself.
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