慢

arrogant; proud; boastful; sluggish; lazy

Kanji 1837

Many 慢 terms involve pride. These words run the gamut from healthy self-regard (in a few cases) to pompous self-importance (much more of the time). However, 慢 also plays a role in 我慢 (がまん: patience), an incredibly positive quality that the Japanese revere. The essay explains how this is possible and examines various views on what 我慢 truly means in Japanese culture. 

Revision history:

Aug. 11, 2023: p. 7 sidebar: Changed "pride" to "arrogance" in the translation of the first sample sentence.

Jan. 28, 2020: 

• p. 2: Etymology Box: Replaced the old Henshall etymology with the new one.
• p. 16: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.

May 17, 2013: Originally published.