📖 Meaning
A Confucian maxim advising one to serve and take action when recognized by a worthy ruler, and to withdraw into seclusion when dismissed or ignored. It embodies the ideal of knowing when to advance and when to retreat, maintaining one's integrity regardless of circumstance.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Analects of Confucius (论语·述而), where Confucius said to his disciple Yan Yuan: 'When employed, act; when dismissed, hide away — only you and I can do this!' (用之则行，舍之则藏，惟我与尔有是夫). It reflects the Confucian ideal that a gentleman should serve the state when the times are right and the ruler is virtuous, but retreat into private life when the political climate is corrupt or one's talents are not valued. Over time, the phrase was condensed into the four-character idiom 行藏用舍.
💡 Example Usage
他深谙行藏用舍之理，进退自如。
He deeply understands the principle of knowing when to act and when to retreat, moving freely in and out of office.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 行藏用舍
- Pinyin: xíng cáng yòng shě
- Literal Translation: act, retreat, employ, dismiss
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4