📖 Meaning
Having too many threads or leads but few essential points. It describes a situation or person that gets lost in details and fails to grasp what truly matters. Often used to criticize a leadership or decision-making style that lacks focus.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wei, Biography of Guo Jia' (《三国志·魏书·郭嘉传》). Guo Jia, a brilliant strategist serving the warlord Cao Cao, was evaluating his rival Yuan Shao before their fateful confrontation. He observed that Yuan Shao merely tried to imitate the Duke of Zhou's humility in welcoming talented men, yet failed to understand the real art of employing them. Guo Jia concluded that Yuan Shao was 'many in threads but few in essentials, fond of scheming but incapable of deciding' (多端寡要，好谋无决). This sharp assessment proved prophetic when Cao Cao decisively defeated Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu in 200 CE.
💡 Example Usage
他做事多端寡要，总是抓不住重点。
He approaches tasks with too many threads and few essentials, always failing to grasp the key points.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 多端寡要
- Pinyin: duō duān guǎi yào
- Literal Translation: many, ends, few, essentials
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4