to muddle through; to be content with just getting by; to take a live-and-let-live attitude without much ambition or long-term planning; to drift along.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
Legend has it that on Mount Wutai, there lived a very beautiful bird called the "Cold-Calling Bird." In summer, its feathers were exceptionally splendid, and it would fly everywhere, challenging other birds to beauty contests, singing, "Even the phoenix is not as beautiful as I am!"
When autumn arrived, other birds either flew south for winter or built their nests, but the Cold-Calling Bird remained indifferent.
When winter came, the Cold-Calling Bird's feathers all fell out, and it eventually froze to death in a crevice of the rocks, a direct consequence of its 'get by and let it pass' attitude.