è​sǐ​shì​xiǎo​shī​jié​shì​dà

integrity is more important than life

饿死事小失节事大 餓死事小失節事大 è​sǐ​shì​xiǎo​shī​jié​shì​dà
integrity is more important than life
(saying) starving to death is a small matter compared to losing one's honor or integrity; often used metaphorically to mean that one should never sacrifice principles, even at the cost of one's life or livelihood