能屈能伸

能屈能伸 [néng qū néng shēn]

1. ■ can bend or unbend -- can take temporary setbacks; able to bow and rise at will; able to stoop or stand erect; adaptable to circumstances; can either stoop or stand; knowing when to yield and when not; submit or assert oneself as the occasion requires; taking the rough with the smooth:

大丈夫能屈能伸。 A man among men is he who knows when to eat humble pie and when to hold his head high.