A Chinese Idiom: “Eyes That Miss Their Own Lashes”

King Zhuang of Chu set his sights on the weakened state of Yue.Court minister Du warned him: the realm had lately lost wars, bandits still prowled, and a fresh campaign would only deepen the chaos.
“A lash is too near to see,” he said. “Ignore the danger beside you, and you will misjudge the enemy beyond.”The king’s soaring ambition fell back to earth: wisdom, Du implied, begins with facing one’s own flaws, then turns outward to read the wider field.