131Japanese idiom 四字熟語
切磋琢磨
せっさたくまSessa takuma
“Carving and polishing one another.”
Word for wordCut, file, carve, polish.
The meaning
Like bone, ivory and jade under the tool, people are refined by contact with one another. Good emulation is not rivalry: it is mutual polishing.
At the origin
An expression from the Book of Odes, echoed in the Analects, very alive in Japanese study and sport.
The characters
In practice
Find a demanding, benevolent training companion.
Editorial note
Classical Chinese origin (Book of Odes).