to walk right into a trap; to bring trouble upon oneself; to court disaster
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Antonym:
Story:
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Zhi, son of Cao Cao, was a brilliant and talented scholar, highly favored by his father. However, his indulgence in alcohol gradually weakened his chances of inheriting the throne.
After Cao Pi ascended to power as emperor, he had Cao Zhi's close friend, Ding Yi, arrested. Cao Zhi, who was essentially a prisoner despite his title as a prince, composed the poem 'Song of the Yellow Oriole in the Wild Field' (野田黄雀行).
In this poem, he wrote a line that metaphorically depicted self-inflicted danger: 'I do not see the sparrow by the fence, but I see the hawk throwing itself into the net' (不见篱间雀，见鹞自投罗). This line is seen as the origin or a strong inspiration for the idiom '自投罗网' (zì tóu luó wǎng), illustrating the idea of willingly walking into a trap or inviting disaster.