Custom Deliberate Inaction is better than Blind Action Chinese & Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll
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Better to Choose Nothing, Rather than Make a Poor Choice
寧缺毋濫 is a Chinese proverb that can be translated as “Better to have nothing (than substandard choice).”
It basically suggests that one should prefer to go without something rather than accept a shoddy option.
See Also: A Deliberate Inaction is Better Than a Blind Action
Do not shed a tear until you see the coffin
不見棺材不落淚 is a cautionary tale that suggests you are unknowingly (though it should be obvious）on a bad course.
It further suggests that you will not realize your folly until the worst has happened.
This can also be a warning of inaction until it's too late to take action. Again, not realizing your error until it's too late.
In an alternate interpretation, some will suggest this means doing something bad and not looking back - Then the worst happens.
It should be noted that this is one of the oddest selections for a wall scroll in our whole Asian calligraphy database. All of our translators are convinced that no Chinese person would ever hang this on their wall.
A Deliberate Inaction is Better than a Blind Action
Sometimes 一動不如一靜 is translated by others as “Look before you leap” but the more accurate and direct translation is the one I used in the title.
While somewhat military in its origin, this proverb can apply to any situation where a decision needs to be made, but perhaps there are still some “unknowns.”
This phrase suggests that in our “action-based” world, sometimes the “smarter move” is “no move at all.”
See Also: Better to Choose Nothing Rather Than Make a Poor Choice
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
| Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
| Better to Choose Nothing, Rather than Make a Poor Choice | 寧缺毋濫 宁缺毋滥 | nìng quē wú làn ning4 que1 wu2 lan4 ning que wu lan ningquewulan | ning ch`üeh wu lan ningchüehwulan ning chüeh wu lan |
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| Do not shed a tear until you see the coffin | 不見棺材不落淚 不见棺材不落泪 | bú jiàn guān cái bú luò lèi bu2 jian4 guan1 cai2 bu2 luo4 lei4 bu jian guan cai bu luo lei bujianguancaibuluolei | pu chien kuan ts`ai pu lo lei puchienkuantsaipulolei pu chien kuan tsai pu lo lei |
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| A Deliberate Inaction is Better than a Blind Action | 一動不如一靜 一动不如一静 | yí dòng bù rú yí jìng yi2 dong4 bu4 ru2 yi2 jing4 yi dong bu ru yi jing yidongburuyijing | i tung pu ju i ching itungpujuiching |
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| In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. | ||||
