正视
zhèngshì · HSK 7
face
👁️ 正 (straight/upright) + 视 (look) = to look straight at, face up to
正 means straight or upright, 视 means to look or view. Together: looking at something head-on instead of avoiding it, hence facing a problem squarely. Contrast 正 (straight) with avoiding eye contact.
正 — one 一 + stop 止
Originally an ideograph showing a foot (止) advancing toward a target line (一), meaning 'to march straight toward' a city or goal. From this came the senses 'upright,' 'correct,' and 'proper.' The military sense survives in 征 (to campaign), which took over the original 'march' meaning.