📖 Meaning
To become so absorbed in trivial pursuits or hobbies that one loses ambition and drive. It warns that excessive indulgence in playthings erodes one's determination to achieve greater goals. Often used to caution against letting distractions undermine serious aspirations.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Book of Documents' (尚书), specifically the chapter 'Lü Ao' (旅獒), a text dating to the Zhou Dynasty. King Wu of Zhou received precious gifts including a hound from the western tribes, and his minister 召公 (Duke of Shao) admonished him, warning that indulging in such luxuries would corrupt his virtue and ambition. The original phrase states '玩人丧德，玩物丧志'—playing with people destroys virtue, playing with things destroys ambition. This counsel urged the king to focus on governance rather than material pleasures.
💡 Example Usage
他整天沉迷于电子游戏，真是玩物丧志。
He is addicted to video games all day long—truly a case of losing ambition to trivial pursuits.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 玩物丧志
- Pinyin: wán wù sàng zhì
- Literal Translation: play, things, lose, ambition
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4