To overestimate one's own abilities or strength; to not know one's place or recognize one's limitations.
他竟然挑战全国冠军，这简直是自不量力，结果当然是惨败。
He dared to challenge the national champion; that was clearly overestimating his own abilities, and of course, he suffered a crushing defeat.
Era:
Early Modern
Frequency:
Story:
During the Spring and Autumn period, the relatively weak state of Xi initiated a war against the state of Zheng, only to suffer a defeat.
Analysts at the time believed that Xi, by overestimating its own strength, was heading for annihilation. Their reasoning was that Xi failed to consider its own moral standing, incorrectly assessed the power balance between itself and its adversaries, could not distinguish friends from foes, and neglected to foster alliances with neighboring states.
As predicted, it wasn't long before the state of Xi was conquered and annexed by the powerful state of Chu.
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