治丝益棼 zhì sī yì fén Make a mess

Explanation

比喻事情处理方法不对，结果使事情更加复杂混乱。

To illustrate that the wrong approach to problem-solving leads to even greater confusion and complexity.

Origin Story

战国时期，一位大臣向国君献策，说要以德服人，不能用暴力解决问题，否则只会适得其反，就像整理丝线一样，越理越乱。他用了一个比喻，说用暴力治理国家，就像整理丝线一样，越理越乱，只会让局势更加混乱。国君听后深思熟虑，最终采纳了他的建议，以仁政治国，国家逐渐安定繁荣。

zhànguó shíqí, yī wèi dà chén xiàng guójūn xiàncè, shuō yào yǐ dé fú rén, bù néng yòng bàolì jiějué wèntí, fǒuzé zhǐ huì shìdéqífǎn, jiù xiàng zhěnglǐ sīxiàn yīyàng, yuè lǐ yuè luàn. tā yòng le yīgè bǐyù, shuō yòng bàolì zhìlǐ guójiā, jiù xiàng zhěnglǐ sīxiàn yīyàng, yuè lǐ yuè luàn, zhǐ huì ràng júshì gèngjiā hùnluàn. guójūn tīng hòu shēnsī shúlǜ, zuìzhōng cǎinà le tā de jiànyì, yǐ rénzhèng zhì guó, guójiā zhújiàn ān dìng fánróng.

During the Warring States period, a minister advised his ruler to govern with kindness, not violence, because the latter would only backfire, just like trying to untangle a tangled thread often makes it more tangled. He used an analogy: governing with violence is like untangling silk; the more you try, the more tangled it becomes, only leading to greater chaos. The ruler, after careful consideration, finally adopted his suggestion, governed with benevolent rule, and the country gradually became stable and prosperous.

Usage

用于形容处理事情方法不当，结果使事情更加糟糕。

yòng yú xíngróng chǔlǐ shìqíng fāngfǎ bùdàng, jiéguǒ shǐ shìqíng gèngjiā zāogāo

Used to describe that the wrong approach to a problem leads to a worsening of the situation.

Examples

• 他总是把事情搞得更糟，真是治丝益棼。

  ta zongshi ba shiqing gao de gengzao, zhen shi zhisīyìfén.

  He always makes things worse, it's a real mess.

• 这个问题处理起来非常棘手，简直是治丝益棼。

  zhege wenti chuli qilai feichang jieshou, jiangzhi shi zhisīyìfén

  This problem is very tricky, it's simply a chaos.

Related Idioms

• 越理越乱

• 乱上加乱

Opposite Idioms

• 迎刃而解

• 易如反掌