- 冷暖自知 lěngnuǎnzìzhī the person drinking the water knows its temperaturea Zen proverb stating that self-awareness or enlightenment comes from within and cannot be easily conveyed to others
- 自知之明 zìzhīzhīmíng self-knowledge(idiom) the ability to understand oneself correctly and to recognize one's own strengths and weaknesses
- 自知理亏 zìzhīlǐkuī to know one is in the wrongto know that one is in the wrong; to realize that justice is not on one's side
- 如人饮水，冷暖自知 rúrényǐnshuǐlěngnuǎnzìzhī only the drinker knows if the water is cold or warmA proverb meaning that one's personal feelings or experiences can only be truly understood by oneself; self-awareness comes from within.
- 知人者智，自知者明 zhīrénzhězhìzìzhīzhěmíng to know others is wise, to know oneself is enlightened(idiom) those who understand others are clever, but those who know themselves are truly wise; a famous saying from the [[道德经|道德經|dao4 de2 jing1]]