Blessings are where misfortune lies, and misfortunes are where blessings rely on

Source: Chapter 58 of "Laozi": "Misfortune lies on which blessings depend; misfortune lies on which misfortune depends. ”

Interpretation: When encountering disasters, blessings and fortunes depend on them; when blessings and fortunes are gained, disasters lurk. Blessings and misfortunes are interdependent and transform each other.

Extension: It is a metaphor that bad things can lead to good results, and good things can also lead to bad results. Everything has two sides.

2. A blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise

Source: "Huainanzi Human Training":

The people near the fortress have good skills. The horse died for no reason and entered the wild. Everyone paid tribute to him, and his father said, "How can this not be a blessing?" After staying for several months, his horse returned home with a handsome horse. Everyone congratulated him, and his father said, "Why can't this cause disaster?" The family was rich and had good horses, and his son was good at riding them, but they fell and broke his legs. Everyone was hanging on him, and his father said: "Why is this not a blessing?";

After one year of residence, the barbarians entered the fortress in large numbers, and the strong men led the strings to fight. Those who were close to the fortress died Nineteen, this is because of lameness, father and son protect each other. Therefore, blessings turn into misfortunes, and misfortunes turn into blessings. The changes cannot be extreme and unfathomable.

Translation:

Among the people near the frontier, there was a man who was proficient in arithmetic. His horse ran to the barbarians by itself, and everyone came to express their condolences to him. The father said: "Why do you know it is not good luck?" A few months later, his horse came back with the barbarians' horses, and everyone congratulated him. The father said: "Why do you know it's not the cause?"

The family was rich and had horses. His son liked to ride horses, and once fell off the horse and broke his femur