自己犠牲

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 自己犠牲 and read じこぎせい, it is giving up one's own interests, safety, or needs for another person or cause.
• Basic usage: It appears in a warning against expecting excessive sacrifice and in judging a choice as sacrifice rather than courage.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Not automatically a virtue
  • The act may help others, but the word can be critical when the personal cost is excessive.