But how often does the lesson actually “take”?

痛定思痛
tsuu.tei.shi.tsuu

Literally: pain – determine – think – pain

Alternately: Remembering pain after one has recovered from it. By extension, looking back on something negative in the past (including e.g. one’s mistakes and failures) and taking it as a warning about what to do, or not do, in the future.

Notes: This is another gift from our friend, the Tang-era Chinese scholar Han Yu (韓愈, Japanese Kan Yu), and is a compound of compounds. While 痛定 is not used in contemporary Japanese, in Mr. Han’s usage it meant recovery from disease, and in the same way 思痛 meant remembering that disease.

By a Chinese singer, I’m afraid