失之毫厘，谬以千里 | A small error leads to a huge mistake

shī失zhī之háo毫lí厘，，miù谬yǐ以qiān千lǐ里

A tiny initial error can lead to a huge mistake or discrepancy; even a small deviation can result in a significant problem.

在进行精密计算时，如果失之毫厘，谬以千里，就会导致整个项目失败。

When performing precise calculations, if there is a tiny error, it can lead to a huge discrepancy and cause the entire project to fail.

Era:

Ancient

Frequency:

Synonym:

失之毫厘，差之千里

Story:

During the Western Han Dynasty, General Zhao Chongguo was sent by Emperor Xuan to quell a rebellion in the northwest.

Zhao Chongguo observed that the rebel forces were disunited and advocated a strategy of appeasement, successfully bringing many rebels to surrender.

However, Emperor Xuan commanded him to engage in battle, which unfortunately resulted in an initial setback.

Later, when Zhao Chongguo was ordered to gather military provisions according to the emperor's plan, this action inadvertently provoked further unrest.

Reflecting on these events, Zhao Chongguo sighed, expressing the sentiment that 'a miss by a hair's breadth leads to an error of a thousand miles,' understanding how a slight deviation from the optimal path could lead to vastly different and undesired outcomes.

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