Loot a burning house. Literally, it means robbing someone while their house is on fire. It is a metaphor for seizing an opportunity to gain unfair advantages when others are in danger or distress. This idiom comes from the fifth stratagem in The Thirty-Six Stratagems. The original text reads, "When the enemy suffers great harm, take advantage of the situation to gain benefits; be firm and decisive in overcoming the weak." It means that when an enemy encounters serious difficulties, one should seize the opportunity to attack and secure victory. In military terms, it refers to launching an attack when the enemy is in crisis. In everyday life, however, it is mostly used in a derogatory sense, describing behavior in which, when others suffer misfortune or hardship, a person not only refrains from helping but instead kicks them when they are down and profits from their plight. Common contexts of use include criticizing unethical behavior in business competition, selfishness in interpersonal relationships, or power politics in international relations. Its emotional coloring is strong, carrying clear connotations of condemnation and contempt, implying that the actor lacks moral bottom lines, takes advantage of others' peril, and is utterly shameful. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the emphasis in traditional Chinese morality on "benevolence and righteousness" and its opposition to benefiting oneself at the expense of others.
📝 Example
1. The company had just gone bankrupt, and some creditors took advantage of its misfortune, pressing the boss to repay his debts immediately and even demanding that his personal property be used to settle them. (Referring to seizing the crisis of bankruptcy to force debt repayment for gain.)
2. After the earthquake, some unscrupulous merchants took advantage of the disaster to profiteer by raising the price of bottled water several times over. (Referring to exploiting the shortage of supplies caused by an earthquake to drive up prices and reap excessive profits.)