諺語 · a single proverb
行成於思，毀於隨
Simplified: 行成于思，毁于随
What does 行成於思，毀於隨 (xíng chéng yú sī huǐ yú suí) mean?
行成於思，毀於隨 (xíng chéng yú sī huǐ yú suí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "action formed through thought, ruined through following." In use it means: Achievement is built through careful thought; it is ruined by blindly following others. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "action formed through thought, ruined through following."
The reading
What is built through genuine thought has a coherence to it that holds; what is assembled by following others' trends without one's own conviction falls apart when the trend changes, having had no original architecture to hold it together. Think before you act, and think for yourself. The act shaped by your own reflection is the one that belongs to you.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Yu 韓愈·《進學解》 (Jìn Xué Jiě, Tang Dynasty essay)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 行成於思，毀於隨 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 行成於思，毀於隨 (xíng chéng yú sī huǐ yú suí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Han Yu 韓愈·《進學解》 (Jìn Xué Jiě, Tang Dynasty essay). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 行成於思，毀於隨?
In Mandarin it is xíng chéng yú sī huǐ yú suí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 行成於思，毀於隨 aloud in Mandarin.