Chinese Idiom: 三思而行 (San Si Er Xing)
English Translation: Think Twice Before Acting
pīn yīn: sān sī ér xíng
Idiom Meaning: This idiom is used to advise people to consider carefully before taking action. “Three thoughts” implies multiple considerations, and “three” suggests repeatedly and many times.
Historical Source: The Analects of Confucius, Chapter 6.
Idiom Story:
During the Spring and Autumn period, Jisun Xingfu, also known as Ji Wenzi, was a minister in the state of Lu. He was known for his cautious nature and would “think three times before acting” – deliberating multiple times before deciding whether and how to proceed.
Generally speaking, it is beneficial to carefully consider before taking action, as it tends to lead to more positive outcomes than negative ones. However, Confucius did not fully endorse Ji Wenzi’s approach. Though they lived at different times, with Confucius being born more than ten years after Ji Wenzi’s death, Confucius commented on Ji Wenzi’s attitude, saying, “It is not necessary to think three times; thinking twice will suffice.”
The reason Confucius believed that thinking twice was enough is not explicitly mentioned in The Analects. However, Song dynasty Confucian scholars Cheng Hao and Zhu Xi explained that thinking once or twice is sufficient to make a decision; thinking too much could lead to over-caution and indecision. Qing dynasty scholar Huan Maoyong in his work The Collected Annotations of The Analects noted that Ji Wenzi’s excessive caution in considering personal gains and losses was a drawback of his “thinking three times.”
