Thinking about what a leader really needs on days when you feel out of place in a team | Chiyu Kenbi (Possessing Both Wisdom and Courage) [Experience with AI Manga #19]
By reading this article, the term "Chiyu Kenbi" will shift from being "a compliment for strong or smart people" to "a perspective for cultivating wisdom and courage within yourself simultaneously." With a two-part structure of a 4-panel comic and a short story, it should resonate with you immediately.
Theme of the day: Chiyu Kenbi (Possessing Both Wisdom and Courage)
Our four-character idiom explanation manga starts now!
When you first enter a new world, haven't you ever failed by charging in with only brute force?
Or perhaps you knew what to do in your head, but your body wouldn't move, causing trouble for your teammates. When you feel that being only "strong" or only "smart" isn't enough to move the team or help you grow, there is a perfect phrase for that.
“Chiyu Kenbi” means possessing both wisdom and courage. It is a positive term meaning that true strength cannot exist if either is missing. "Having courage but being reckless," or "being smart but unable to take a step forward."
Neither of these is called Chiyu Kenbi. Let's remember this, as it is a point that is often confused.
Let's experience Chiyu Kenbi in the world of martial arts with Mao and Arka!
📖 4-Panel Manga "Chiyu Kenbi"
Meaning of "Chiyu Kenbi"
Possessing both wisdom (chi) and courage (yu). It is a positive expression used to praise someone, referring to a state where thoughtfulness and the ability to take action coexist, rather than just one or the other.
📖 Short Story Manga "Chiyu Kenbi"
Column: How to Enjoy Chiyu Kenbi [Etymology and Why "Wisdom and Courage" Are Discussed Together]
Let's break down the kanji one by one.
Chi (Wisdom) - Wisdom/the power to see through to the essence of things. It refers not just to having information, but to "practical wisdom" that judges situations.
Yu (Courage) - Courage/the power to act beyond fear.
Ken (Possess Both) - To have both at the same time/to combine.
Bi (備) - To be equipped with; to be fully prepared.
Sometimes 'Chi' (知) is written as 'Chi' (智). While 'Chi' (知) refers to information and knowledge, 'Chi' (智) refers to 'practical wisdom'—the ability to assess a situation and make appropriate judgments. Generally, 'Chiyu Kenbi' using 'Chi' (知) is considered the safer, more standard choice.
Etymology and Origin
The roots of 'Chiyu Kenbi' lie in the three Confucian virtues of 'Chi, Jin, Yu (Wisdom, Benevolence, and Courage)'. In the 'Zhongyong' (The Doctrine of the Mean, a Confucian classic believed to have been written around the 4th to 3rd century BC), which collects the teachings of Confucius, there is a passage that states, 'Wisdom, benevolence, and courage are the universal virtues of the world.' Universal virtues are those that transcend time and place. These three—wisdom, compassion, and courage—were positioned as the most important qualities for a human being.
It is said that 'Chiyu Kenbi' focuses on 'wisdom' (chi) and 'courage' (yu) from among these three virtues, and became widely used in Chinese classical history books and military treatises as a term to evaluate military commanders and leaders. It was transmitted to Japan along with Chinese classics, and after the Edo period, when Bushido was established, it became a fixed expression often used in the context of evaluating warriors and discussing character.
Difference in Meaning: How is it different from 'Bunbu Ryodo'?
There is a similar term, 'Bunbu Ryodo (mastery of both the pen and the sword),' but the perspective is slightly different.
Bunbu Ryodo: The balance of 'fields'—academic study (bun) and martial arts (bu).
Chiyu Kenbi: The balance of 'inner qualities'—wisdom (chi) and courage (yu).
While 'Bunbu Ryodo' focuses on 'what one is doing,' 'Chiyu Kenbi' feels like it is questioning 'what is inside that person.' That is why it can be used to say that even a master of martial arts cannot be called a true leader unless they possess both wisdom and courage.
Antonyms and Paradoxes: Why having only one is not enough
There is no single definitive antonym, but there are paired concepts that indicate a 'lacking state' of Chiyu Kenbi.
'Hippu no Yu (The courage of a common man)': Reckless courage of a small person who charges in with only their body, without thought. A state of having courage but no wisdom.
'Chi ni hatarakeba kado ga tatsu (If you work only with wisdom, you will cause friction)': A metaphor for a state where only wisdom runs ahead, and it is not accompanied by the ability to act or the courage to take a step forward.
People will not follow you if you have only wisdom or only courage. Only when both are present does it become a force that can move a team; 'Chiyu Kenbi' is a word that condenses that principle into a single phrase.
This time, we brought you 'Chiyu Kenbi'.
It was a story where Mao, who was panicking and spinning her wheels alone in the dojo, learns the meaning of 'thinking before acting' thanks to a word from Aaka. 'Strong' and 'wise' are not things to choose between, but things to cultivate both. The word 'Chiyu Kenbi' might be a gift from our predecessors that expresses that attitude in a single phrase. When you feel like you might be floating away from your team, try remembering this word.
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