A self-defeating idiom story

A trick is self-defeating

Pinyin nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō

Source: Song Dynasty Huang Tingjian's "Ode to Zhuoxuan": "A trick is self-defeating, and it is a snake's foot."

Explain that I wanted to be smart but ended up doing something stupid.

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Example: The secretary originally thought that his advice would have a comforting effect, but it turned out to be self-defeating, and she cried even harder.

A self-defeating story

During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a painter named Sun Zhiwei. He specializes in figure painting. Once, he was commissioned by Shouning Temple in Chengdu to paint a picture of "Nine Yao Xingjun". He carefully sketched the pictures with pens, making the characters lifelike, with flowing clothes and belts, just like fairy postures. Only the last step of coloring was left. At this time, a friend invited him to drink. He put down his pen and looked at the painting carefully for a while. Feeling quite satisfied, he said to his disciples: "I have drawn all the lines of this painting, and only the coloring is left." , you must be careful not to use the wrong color. I went to a friend's house for something. When I come back, I hope you will paint well."

After Sun Zhiwei left, the disciples gathered around the painting and watched the teacher's brush strokes repeatedly. The skills and overall composition are superb, and they exchange ideas with each other. Some people said: "Look at how lifelike the Shui Nuan Xingjun's expression is, with his long beard flowing freely, not angry but majestic." Others said: "The auspicious clouds under the Bodhisattva's feet are surrounded by auspicious clouds. His true divine posture makes people awe-inspiring. Respect." Among them was a disciple named Tong Renyi, who usually showed off his cleverness and liked to impress others. He was the only one who pretended not to say a word. Someone asked him: "Why don't you speak? Is there something missing in this painting?" Tong Renyi pretended to be profound and said: "The expression of Baryon next to Mr. Shui Nuanxing is very expressive, but the crystal bottle in his hand seems to be missing something." The disciples said: "I didn't find anything missing." Tong Renyi said: "Every time the teacher draws a vase, he always draws a flower in the vase, but not this time. Maybe we are in a hurry to go out and don't have time to finish the painting, so we still finish it. Let's color it again." Tong Renyi said, carefully drawing a gorgeous red lotus on the mouth of the bottle.

Sun Zhiwei came back from a friend's house and found a lotus growing out of the bottle in Chongzi's hand. He said angrily and laughingly: "Who did this stupid thing? If it was just superfluous, it would be self-defeating." Well. The bottle in the boy's hand is the demon-suppressing bottle used by Shui Nuan Xingjun to subdue the water monster. If you add lotus flowers and turn the bottle into an ordinary flower bottle, wouldn't it be a big joke?" He said and painted. Tear it to pieces. The disciples looked at Tong Renyi and lowered their heads in silence.