This means trapping oneself through one's own actions—like a silkworm spinning a cocoon that eventually confines it. It describes self-inflicted problems.
The silkworm is a classic Chinese image of industry, but here it becomes a metaphor for self-sabotage. The saying is often used in moral lessons about short-sightedness.
It's a vivid warning against cunning without foresight. The image of the cocoon is perfect—the person creates their own prison through cleverness that becomes a trap.
Draw random cards from hundreds of real Chinese folk sayings and proverbs. Each flip reveals what Chinese people actually mean.
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