Rén dào nánchù cái jiàn xīn.*

人到難處才見心。

Lit [It is] only when a person gets into difficulty that one can [truly] see his heart.

Fig It is only when we see how someone behaves in a difficult situation that we can see his or her true character.

Note [See also jífēng zhī jìncǎo above and shì biàn zhī rénxīn and zhǐ zhī wǒ wàimiàn below.]

Topics BEHAVIOR CHARACTER CIRCUMSTANCES DIFFICULTIES HEARTS TESTING