📖 Meaning
An old silkworm spins silk to form a cocoon, enclosing itself within. It metaphorically refers to a person who creates the very constraints that trap them. The idiom describes self-imposed limitations and the inability to free oneself from one's own entanglements.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Song dynasty poet Su Shi's poem 'Shi Zhi' (《石芝》), where the line reads '老蚕作茧何时脱？梦想至人空激烈。' Su Shi used the image of an aged silkworm spinning its cocoon to express frustration over being trapped by his own attachments, with no clear path of escape. The image draws on the natural life cycle of a silkworm to convey philosophical reflection on self-limitation and the longing for liberation.
💡 Example Usage
他沉迷旧法不思变革，无异于老蚕作茧。
He clings to old methods and refuses to reform, which is no different from an old silkworm spinning its own cocoon.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 老蚕作茧
- Pinyin: lǎo cán zuò jiǎn
- Literal Translation: old, silkworm, make, cocoon
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4