患得患失

huàndéhuànshī

idiom #46,803

Meanings

1 to worry about personal gains and losses
2 fretting both over getting something and over losing it
3 preoccupied with selfish interests

Characters

to get, to gain

Examples

做事患得患失，反而什么都做不成。

Zuòshì huàndéhuànshī, fǎn'ér shénme dōu zuò bu chéng.

If you fret over every gain and loss, you end up getting nothing done.

他对这个职位患得患失，睡不好觉。

Tā duì zhège zhíwèi huàndéhuànshī, shuì bù hǎo jiào.

He's so anxious about gaining or losing this position that he can't sleep well.

谈判时不要患得患失，要看准时机果断出手。

Tánpàn shí bú yào huàndéhuànshī, yào kàn zhǔn shíjī guǒduàn chūshǒu.

In negotiations, don't fret over every gain and loss — seize the right moment and act decisively.

Tips

history

From the Analects (《论语·阳货》), where Confucius criticizes the 'petty man' (鄙夫): before getting a post he worries about not getting it; once he has it he worries about losing it — and will stop at nothing to keep it. A diagnosis of anxious self-interest.

usage

Pejorative. Describes someone too focused on personal stakes to act clearly. Often paired with 畏首畏尾 (cowering front and back) or 瞻前顾后 (looking before and behind).

Stroke Order

患 huàn

得 dé

失 shī