A polished mirror and still water. The best 'inner peace' on this site.

What a Japanese person actually thinks
Serene and genuinely admired. It's used before a competition or a difficult decision, so it reads as composure that's been worked for. Elegant, not soft.

Meaning

Literally: bright mirror + still water
Actually: A mind with nothing clouding it — as reflective as a clean mirror, as undisturbed as water with no wind on it. A state of complete clarity, with no resentment or agitation.

Scores

Naturalness●●●●●

Well-known classical idiom, used in martial arts and in ordinary speech.

Coolness●●●●●

Four characters that are also a picture. Everything about this works — meaning, sound, and the visual balance of 明/鏡 against 止/水.

Watch out

Nothing embarrassing lurking in here.

On skin

明鏡止水

Orientation: vertical

Mincho, vertical. 鏡 is 19 strokes — size accordingly.