📖 Meaning
With too many diverging paths, the lost sheep cannot be recovered. It metaphorically means that when things are complex and varied, without a clear direction one easily goes astray; it also means that pursuing too many fields of study prevents one from attaining true depth.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from the Daoist text《列子·说符》, attributed to Liezi of the Warring States period. A neighbor of the scholar Yangzi lost a sheep and sent many people to chase it, yet returned empty-handed. When Yangzi asked why, the neighbor explained that the roads kept forking and the searchers had to split up, so the sheep was lost. Yangzi fell silent for days, recognizing that scholars likewise lose the Way when they pursue too many doctrines without focus. The text famously states: 'The great Way loses its sheep through many forked paths; the scholar loses his essence through many directions.'
💡 Example Usage
在追求知识的道路上，若没有明确的方向，便容易多歧亡羊。
On the path of pursuing knowledge, without a clear direction, one easily loses their way like the sheep among many forked roads.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 多歧亡羊
- Pinyin: duō qí wáng yáng
- Literal Translation: many, forked-paths, lose, sheep
- Category: Learning
- Characters: 4