📖 Meaning
The inchworm bends its body in order to extend forward. It metaphorically describes the strategy of yielding or retreating first in order to advance later. The idiom advocates patience and indirectness as a means to achieving one's goals.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Xi Ci' (Appended Remarks) commentary of the 'Zhou Yi' (Book of Changes), a foundational text of the Zhou dynasty. The original passage observes that the inchworm bends its body precisely so that it can stretch out and move forward. Later scholars interpreted this natural phenomenon as a philosophical principle of strategic retreat. The Ming dynasty playwright Wang Shizhen cited it in his work 'Ming Feng Ji,' reinforcing its use as a political and personal maxim.
💡 Example Usage
谈判桌上，他选择暂时让步，正是尺蠖求伸之策。
At the negotiation table, he chose to temporarily yield—a classic strategy of retreating in order to advance.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 尺蠖求伸
- Pinyin: chǐ huò qiú shēn
- Literal Translation: inch-worm, seek, stretch
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4