To cling to an outdated perspective or method, failing to recognize that circumstances have changed; to act in a rigid, impractical, or foolish manner by adhering to outdated ways.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the Warring States period, a man from the State of Chu was crossing a river by boat. When the boat reached the middle of the river, he accidentally dropped his precious sword into the water. He quickly tried to catch it, but it was too late.
The other passengers on the boat felt very sorry for him, but the man from Chu seemed quite confident. He immediately took out a small knife, carved a mark on the side of the boat, and told everyone, 'This is where my sword fell into the water, so I'm making a mark here.' Everyone was puzzled by his action and didn't ask him further.
After the boat docked, the man from Chu immediately jumped into the water at the spot where he had made the mark on the boat, to retrieve his fallen sword. He searched for a long time but couldn't find any trace of the sword. He felt very strange and muttered to himself, 'Didn't my sword fall here? I even made a mark here, so why can't I find it?'
At this point, the people on the boat burst into laughter and said, 'The boat has been moving all along, but your sword sank to the bottom and stayed there. How could you possibly find your sword?' Indeed, after the sword fell into the river, the boat continued to move, but the sword itself did not. Searching for it in such a way was truly foolish and ridiculous.