杞人忧天

Pronunciation: qǐ rén yōu tiān Literal meaning: Qi person worries sky

Origin & Usage

This anxious idiom references a person from Qi (杞人) who worried (忧) about the sky (天) falling, originating from the philosophical text 'Liezi' during the Warring States period. It tells of a man so concerned about the sky collapsing, the earth cracking, and himself falling into the abyss that he couldn't eat or sleep. The story selected the small state of Qi to emphasize the provincial nature of such excessive worry. During the Han Dynasty, it became a standard reference in governance texts warning against paralysis through excessive caution. Modern usage describes irrational anxiety about unlikely catastrophes, particularly concerns that are theoretically possible but practically remote, often preventing normal function or reasonable risk-taking.

Examples

English: "His constant fears about remote dangers prevented him from enjoying life"

Chinese: 他对遥远危险的持续担忧使他无法享受生活