一成不变

Pinyin:yī chéng bù biàn

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📖 Meaning

Stay fixed and unchanging.

📜 Origin

《礼记》

💡 Detailed Explanation

"Unchanging" means that things are fixed and remain the same, with no development or change. It originates from the "Book of Rites, Royal Regulations," in which the phrase "once established, it cannot be changed" originally meant that once criminal law was enacted, it could not be altered, and later it broadly came to mean clinging to the old without change. This idiom is often used to describe rigid thinking, stubborn adherence to convention, or things remaining as they are with no progress at all. In emotional coloring, it is mostly derogatory, criticizing a lack of innovation and flexibility. It is used in a wide range of contexts, such as evaluating systems, methods, ideas, and lifestyles. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the dialectical thinking about "change" and "no change" in traditional Chinese culture, emphasizing adapting to the times and reforming the old to bring forth the new. In modern contexts, it is often used to remind people not to remain complacent and self-confined, but to have the courage to change.

📝 Example

1. This company's management model has remained static, leading to a lack of motivation among employees and a decline in performance year after year. 2. His daily life is invariable: getting up, going to work, eating, and sleeping, with nothing fresh or new.