complacency is as deadly as poison; seeking comfort brings ruin
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
Seeking comfort and complacency is like drinking poison—self-destructive; complacency brings ruin
literaryA classical idiom (chengyu) warning against complacency. 晏 means peaceful/ease, 安 means comfort, 鸩 refers to a legendary bird whose feathers were used to make poison, and 毒 means poison. Often used in formal writing or speeches to caution against seeking ease over progress.
Gǔ古
rén人
yún云
，
yàn晏
ān安
zhèn鸩
dú毒
，
wǒ我
men们
qiè切
bù不
kě可
tān贪
tú图
yǎn眼
qián前
de的
ān安
yì逸
。
The ancients said that complacency is as deadly as poison; we must never seek comfort in the present.
Rú如
guǒ果
zhǐ只
shì是
mǎn满
zú足
yú于
xiàn现
zhuàng状
，
nà那
jiù就
shì是
yàn晏
ān安
zhèn鸩
dú毒
，
zuì最
zhōng终
huì会
shī失
qù去
jìng竞
zhēng争
lì力
。
If one is merely satisfied with the status quo, that is tantamount to drinking poison—eventually, competitiveness will be lost.
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Duì对
yú于
qǐ企
yè业
lái来
shuō说
，
bù不
sī思
jìn进
qǔ取
wú无
yì异
yú于
yàn晏
ān安
zhèn鸩
dú毒
。
For a business, failing to seek progress is no different from self-destruction through complacency.