Chinese Proverbs

Blind imitation with ludicrous effect

Once upon a time, there was a beauty whose name was Xi Shi, and she was among the top four beauties in ancient China. She had heart disease and when she was feeling unwell she could be seen covering her heart with her hand. This gesture actually made her delicate beauty that much more noticeable.

When a girl, who lived in the same town, saw Xi Shi's gesture and how it made her even more beautiful, the girl decided to imitate her. However, by doing this, the girl only made herself look uglier and unknown to her, the gesture also scared the girl's neighbours away!

This proverb is from 'Chuang-tzu' and is used to describe people who imitate others without purpose.