propensity to hide one's talents; tendency to efface oneself
Describes a personality trait or hobby of deliberately concealing one's abilities or true self, often for aesthetic or philosophical reasons. The term is somewhat literary and may be encountered in discussions of traditional Japanese aesthetics or psychology.
His propensity to hide his talents often leads to misunderstandings from those around him.
Some people, driven by a taste for self-effacement, deliberately pretend to be incompetent.
韜晦 is the act of hiding one's talents or true character; 韜晦趣味 is the propensity or hobby of doing so.
謙遜 is general modesty or humility, while 韜晦趣味 specifically implies a deliberate, sometimes aesthetic concealment of one's abilities.
Compound of 韜晦 (とうかい, 'concealment of one's talents') and 趣味 (しゅみ, 'hobby, taste'). 韜晦 is a Sino-Japanese word using rare kanji; the exact historical derivation is uncertain.