讳疾忌医
- Literal
- to conceal the illness and shun the doctor
- Figurative
- To hide your own flaw and refuse to have it pointed out or fixed, until the problem is past saving.
Where does 讳疾忌医 come from?
The image comes from a story in the Han Feizi. The physician Bian Que visited Duke Huan of Cai and warned him that he had an ailment in the skin, still easy to treat; the duke said he was not ill and, once the doctor had left, remarked that doctors like to treat the healthy so they can claim the credit. Ten days later Bian Que returned: the ailment had sunk into the flesh. Ten days after that, into the stomach. On his fourth visit the doctor looked at the duke from a distance and turned away without a word: the ailment had reached the marrow, where no remedy can go. Five days later the duke ached all over and sent for Bian Que, who had already fled to the state of Qin. The duke died.
Source (出处): 《韩非子》
How is 讳疾忌医 used? Two examples
- 有错就改，讳疾忌医只会让问题更严重。
If something's wrong, fix it; hiding it and refusing help only makes the problem worse.
- 他讳疾忌医，谁提意见都听不进去。
He covers up his mistakes and won't hear criticism — no matter who offers advice, none of it gets through.
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