to stand in one's own light
- idiom
- Informal
:
ponerse en su propio camino
- By doubting her abilities, she often stands in her own light when opportunities arise.
Examples
-
You shouldn't stand in your own light by refusing to take credit for your achievements.
-
He realized too late that he had stood in his own light during his early career.
-
Don't stand in your own light!
-
He often stands in his own light by overthinking.
-
By doubting her abilities, she often stands in her own light when opportunities arise.
-
He realized too late that he had stood in his own light during his early career.
-
You shouldn't stand in your own light by refusing to take credit for your achievements.
Antonyms
How Self-Defeating
Surface Forms
Morphology
stand + in + one + own + light
The phrase evokes a clear physical image — literally standing where your own light falls and thereby blocking it — which maps onto the idea of obstructing your own success or insight. However, this requires mapping 'light' to a metaphorical sense of understanding/opportunity and interpreting 'stand in' as self-obstruction, a figurative leap that many B1 learners may not make immediately.
Etymology
Stand in one's own light paints a simple picture: imagine someone who literally stands in front of their own light, casting a shadow that hides them. That's why the phrase means 'to stop yourself from doing well'.