自尊心
じそんしん · jisonshin · JLPT N1 · noun
dignity
👑 自 self + 尊 honor + 心 heart = the heart that holds its own honor
尊 means respect or honor, so 自尊心 is respect for oneself. Pushed too far, that same self-regard turns into conceit, which is why the word covers both meanings.
自 — pictograph of a nose
自 originally depicted a human nose, shown frontally with the bridge and nostrils. Ancient Chinese pointed to their own nose to mean 'me,' so 自 shifted to mean 'self' or 'oneself.' A new character 鼻 was later created to carry the original 'nose' meaning.
心 — pictograph of a heart with chambers and aorta
心 is a pictograph showing a stylized heart, with strokes representing the organ's chambers and the aorta at the top. Originally meaning the physical heart, it broadened to cover mind, feelings, and intentions, since ancient Chinese thought located thinking and emotion in the heart.