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杞人忧天 (qi3 ren2 you1 tian1) - Easing anxious states
By Zhang Ciyun |
May 24, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Everyone has something to worry about. Their jobs, family, the deteriorating environment, the survival of wildlife or the global economic crisis. Most worries are fully justified but others could be imaginary or irrational.
A good example is the popular Chinese saying qi3 ren2 you1 tian1 or "the man of Qi who fears that the sky might fall down." The story of the saying dates back to the Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago.
It's about a man living in the State of Qi who was haunted by a fear that some day the sky might fall down and the earth collapse.
He was so mentally tortured by this morbid anxiety he could not eat or sleep. One of his friends was concerned the man could be driven insane by his imaginary apprehension so decided to have a talk with him.
"You need not worry about the sky which is but a mass of air," the friend told the man. "There is air everywhere and we are all surrounded by the air. So, the sky's falling is never likely to happen."
The man replied: "Okay, maybe you are right. But how about the earth? If the earth collapses, what should I do? Then I might have no place to live."
The friend explained that the earth was made of huge masses of soil and rock. They extended to every corner and there was no place they didn't exist. People walked and lived on such masses everyday. Therefore, the collapse of the earth was simply impossible.
Thanks to the friend's advice, the man was finally convinced that his fear about the sky falling and the earth collapsing was unfounded. After the conversation, he led a normal life again.
Hearing that news, the friend was very much relieved, too.
Today, the idiom qi3 ren2 you1 tian1 is often cited to describe anyone who entertains unwarranted anxiety.
A good example is the popular Chinese saying qi3 ren2 you1 tian1 or "the man of Qi who fears that the sky might fall down." The story of the saying dates back to the Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago.
It's about a man living in the State of Qi who was haunted by a fear that some day the sky might fall down and the earth collapse.
He was so mentally tortured by this morbid anxiety he could not eat or sleep. One of his friends was concerned the man could be driven insane by his imaginary apprehension so decided to have a talk with him.
"You need not worry about the sky which is but a mass of air," the friend told the man. "There is air everywhere and we are all surrounded by the air. So, the sky's falling is never likely to happen."
The man replied: "Okay, maybe you are right. But how about the earth? If the earth collapses, what should I do? Then I might have no place to live."
The friend explained that the earth was made of huge masses of soil and rock. They extended to every corner and there was no place they didn't exist. People walked and lived on such masses everyday. Therefore, the collapse of the earth was simply impossible.
Thanks to the friend's advice, the man was finally convinced that his fear about the sky falling and the earth collapsing was unfounded. After the conversation, he led a normal life again.
Hearing that news, the friend was very much relieved, too.
Today, the idiom qi3 ren2 you1 tian1 is often cited to describe anyone who entertains unwarranted anxiety.
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