Enlightenment:

Tell us not to be blinded by superficial phenomena and to make hasty conclusions. Be sure to do more research to find out the truth behind the facts.

No matter what problems we encounter in life, we must ask why and strive to find out the truth through investigation and research to find the correct solution.

Extended information

The source of the idiom: Han Yingshao's "Customs and Meanings·Strange Gods·There are many people in the world who are frightened by strange things and hurt themselves": "My grandfather Chen is Ji ( Today's Weihui City) ordered to see Du Xuan, the chief administrator, on the summer solstice and give him wine. At that time, there was a red crossbow hanging on the north wall, which was shining in the cup. Xuan was afraid of it, but he dared not drink it. The next day, he suffered from abdominal pain and incision, which hindered his diet. He used a large amount of leprosy and tried to treat Wan Duan, but he could not recover.

Hou Chen went to Xuanjia to take a look at the incident and asked what had happened. He was afraid of this. Snake, snake enters the belly. Chen is still listening, thinking for a long time, and seeing the crossbow, it must be the case. Therefore, there is a snake in the cup, so it is said by Xuan: "There is nothing strange about the crossbow shadow on the wall." Gong Ying thought it was a snake in the wine, so he drank it reluctantly.

That is, getting sick due to doubts. After understanding the truth, the doubts disappear and the illness is cured. Later, the shadow of a snake with a cup and a bow or the shadow of a cup with a bow and a snake are used to refer to doubts and fears caused by illusions. It is a metaphor for suspicion, fear, and worry. Huang Zunxian's poem "Reflections": "The coldness of the golden jue has a dull pain, and the shadow of the snake in the cup bears a strange injustice." Zhao Yi's poem "Self-Report at Seventy": "Seeing crabs in the water makes you angry, and the bottom of the cup is suitable for snakes but they are not frightened."

Reference materials

Baidu Encyclopedia of Cup Bow Snake Shadow