mòshǒuchéngguī: 墨守成规 - To rigidly stick to conventions, To be a stick-in-the-mud

• Keywords: mòshǒuchéngguī, 墨守成规, stick to conventions, hidebound, uncreative, inflexible Chinese idiom, Chinese business culture, Chinese chengyu, follow the old ways, resistant to change, lack of innovation, playing by the book.
• Summary: The Chinese idiom 墨守成规 (mòshǒuchéngguī) describes a person or organization that rigidly sticks to old conventions and established rules, even when change is needed. It carries a strong negative connotation, criticizing a lack of flexibility, creativity, and willingness to adapt. Understanding this term is key to grasping the cultural tension between tradition and innovation in modern China, especially in business and technology.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): mò shǒu chéng guī
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (成语) - a four-character idiomatic expression.
• HSK Level: HSK 6+
• Concise Definition: To stubbornly adhere to established rules and practices without any flexibility.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine a chef who only ever uses a 100-year-old recipe, refusing to try new ingredients or techniques even as tastes change. That is 墨守成规. It’s not just about respecting tradition; it’s about being so blindly attached to “the way it's always been done” that you fail to improve or adapt. It is almost always used as a criticism, implying someone is a “stick-in-the-mud,” hidebound, or uncreative.

• 墨 (mò): Ink; more importantly, this refers to the philosopher Mozi (墨子), founder of the Mohist school of thought.
• 守 (shǒu): To guard, to defend, to protect, to stick to.
• 成 (chéng): Established, completed, already existing.
• 规 (guī): Rule, regulation, custom, convention.

The term originates from the historical fact that Mozi and his followers were masters of defensive strategy. They could defend a city so effectively that “Mo's defense” (墨守) became a metaphor for an extremely stubborn and unyielding defense. When combined with “established rules” (成规), the idiom takes on a negative meaning: to defend old, established rules with the same stubbornness, refusing any attack from new ideas or necessary changes.

墨守成规 taps into a core tension in modern Chinese society: the pull between honoring a long and rich history and the desperate need for innovation (创新 - chuàngxīn) to compete globally. While Chinese culture places a high value on respecting elders, history, and precedent, 墨守成规 is the negative side of that coin. It's the point where respect for the past becomes an obstacle to the future.

• Comparison to a Western Concept: In the West, we might talk about “bureaucratic red tape” or someone being “stuck in their ways.” However, these concepts are slightly different. “Red tape” often refers to an inefficient system, whereas 墨守成规 describes a mindset of an individual or a group. Being “stuck in one's ways” can be a gentle criticism of a grandparent, but 墨守成规 is a stronger, more formal critique, often leveled at managers, companies, or governments that are failing to innovate. It’s not just a personal quirk; it's a strategic failure.

This idiom is a powerful tool for criticizing inefficiency and a lack of forward-thinking, making it highly relevant in discussions about business strategy, technological development, and social reform in China today.

This is a formal idiom with a consistently negative connotation. You'll hear it in business meetings, read it in news articles, and see it used in formal speeches, but rarely in very casual conversation with friends.

• In Business: This is one of the most common contexts. It's used to criticize a competitor that fails to adapt to market changes, or an internal department that resists new processes. Calling a company 墨守成规 is a serious accusation that it is doomed to fail.
• In Government and Education: It can be used to describe bureaucratic systems that are slow to reform or educational methods that are outdated and don't foster creativity.
• In Personal Life: While less common, it can be used to describe a very stubborn, old-fashioned person who refuses to accept new technology, ideas, or social norms. It's much stronger and more critical than simply calling someone “traditional.”

• Example 1:
  • 在这个瞬息万变的市场里，墨守成规的公司很快就会被淘汰。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhège shùnxīwànbiàn de shìchǎng lǐ, mòshǒuchéngguī de gōngsī hěn kuài jiù huì bèi táotài.
  • English: In this rapidly changing market, companies that rigidly stick to conventions will quickly be eliminated.
  • Analysis: This is a classic business context. It uses 墨守成规 to describe a fatal flaw in a company's strategy.
• Example 2:
  • 我们的老板太墨守成规了，他从不接受任何新想法。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de lǎobǎn tài mòshǒuchéngguī le, tā cóngbù jiēshòu rènhé xīn xiǎngfǎ.
  • English: Our boss is too hidebound; he never accepts any new ideas.
  • Analysis: A direct criticism of a person's management style, highlighting their inflexibility.
• Example 3:
  • 教育改革的目的就是为了打破墨守成规的旧模式。
  • Pinyin: Jiàoyù gǎigé de mùdì jiùshì wèile dǎpò mòshǒuchéngguī de jiù móshì.
  • English: The purpose of educational reform is precisely to break the old, hidebound models.
  • Analysis: Here, the term describes an entire system (the “old model”) that needs to be changed.
• Example 4:
  • 你不能总是墨守成规，有时候需要尝试一些新的方法来解决问题。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bùnéng zǒngshì mòshǒuchéngguī, yǒushíhou xūyào chángshì yīxiē xīn de fāngfǎ lái jiějué wèntí.
  • English: You can't always just follow the old rules; sometimes you need to try new methods to solve problems.
  • Analysis: This is a piece of advice, using the idiom to point out someone's unhelpful, rigid approach.
• Example 5:
  • 这家百年老店的失败，主要原因就在于墨守成规，不愿创新。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā bǎinián lǎodiàn de shībài, zhǔyào yuányīn jiù zàiyú mòshǒuchéngguī, bù yuàn chuàngxīn.
  • English: The failure of this century-old shop was mainly due to its adherence to old ways and unwillingness to innovate.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly pairs 墨守成规 with its antonym, “to innovate” (创新), highlighting the core conflict.
• Example 6:
  • 面对新的挑战，我们必须摒弃墨守成规的思想。
  • Pinyin: Miànduì xīn de tiǎozhàn, wǒmen bìxū bǐngqì mòshǒuchéngguī de sīxiǎng.
  • English: Facing new challenges, we must abandon our rigid, conventional thinking.
  • Analysis: This shows the term can describe not just actions, but a “way of thinking” (思想).
• Example 7:
  • 他的研究方法过于墨守成规，缺乏突破性的发现。
  • Pinyin: Tā de yánjiū fāngfǎ guòyú mòshǒuchéngguī, quēfá tūpòxìng de fāxiàn.
  • English: His research methods are too conventional, lacking any breakthrough discoveries.
  • Analysis: Used in an academic or scientific context to criticize a lack of originality.
• Example 8:
  • 很多传统手艺人因为不愿改变，墨守成规，最终失去了市场。
  • Pinyin: Hěnduō chuántǒng shǒuyìrén yīnwèi bù yuàn gǎibiàn, mòshǒuchéngguī, zuìzhōng shīqùle shìchǎng.
  • English: Many traditional artisans, because they were unwilling to change and stuck to the old ways, eventually lost their market.
  • Analysis: This example highlights the fine line between preserving tradition and being harmfully rigid.
• Example 9:
  • 如果我们继续墨守成规，竞争对手很快就会超越我们。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ wǒmen jìxù mòshǒuchéngguī, jìngzhēng duìshǒu hěn kuài jiù huì chāoyuè wǒmen.
  • English: If we continue to be hidebound, our competitors will soon surpass us.
  • Analysis: A clear warning about the consequences of not adapting, common in corporate presentations.
• Example 10:
  • 作为新一代的领导者，他的优点就是从不墨守成规。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi xīn yī dài de lǐngdǎozhě, tā de yōudiǎn jiùshì cóngbù mòshǒuchéngguī.
  • English: As a leader of the new generation, his strong point is that he never rigidly sticks to conventions.
  • Analysis: This shows the term used in a negative construction (`从不…`) to praise someone for their flexibility and innovative spirit.

• Don't confuse it with “Traditional” (传统 - chuántǒng).

Being traditional can be a positive or neutral trait. You can respect tradition (尊重传统) while still being innovative. 墨守成规 is when that respect for tradition becomes a blind, irrational refusal to change, which is always negative.

• Correct: 他很传统，喜欢过春节时全家团聚。(Tā hěn chuántǒng, xǐhuān guò Chūnjié shí quánjiā tuánjù.) - He is very traditional and likes family reunions during Spring Festival. (Positive/Neutral)
• Incorrect: 他很墨守成规，喜欢过春节时全家团聚。(This sounds strange, as it criticizes a normal cultural practice.)
• It's not just “stubborn” (固执 - gùzhí).

`固执` is a general term for being stubborn about any opinion or idea. 墨守成规 is specifically about being stubborn by clinging to *established rules, methods, or conventions*.

• Example: A child who refuses to eat vegetables is `固执`, not `墨守成规`. A manager who refuses to replace a 20-year-old software system because “it still works” is 墨守成规.
• False Friend: “Sticking to the rules.”

In English, this can be positive (e.g., “The judge is fair because she always sticks to the rules.”). 墨守成规 implies that the context demands flexibility, and therefore, “sticking to the rules” is the wrong and foolish thing to do. The Chinese equivalent for positively sticking to rules would be something like `遵守规则 (zūnshǒu guīzé)`.

• 固步自封 (gù bù zì fēng) - A close synonym. To be complacent and refuse to move forward, often out of arrogance. Literally “to stand still and seal oneself off.”
• 因循守旧 (yīn xún shǒu jiù) - A close synonym. To follow old routines and conventions without change; implies a passive, unthinking adherence to the past.
• 与时俱进 (yǔ shí jù jìn) - Antonym. To keep pace with the times; to be progressive and adapt as things change. This is a very popular phrase in modern China.
• 随机应变 (suí jī yìng biàn) - Antonym. To be flexible and adapt to circumstances as they arise; to think on your feet.
• 创新 (chuàngxīn) - Antonym. Innovation; to innovate. The direct opposite of the mindset described by `墨守成规`.
• 改革 (gǎigé) - Antonym. To reform; reform. Often used in the context of government or institutional change needed to overcome `墨守成规`.
• 固执 (gùzhí) - Related but more general. Stubborn, obstinate. `墨守成规` is a specific type of `固执`.
• 传统 (chuántǒng) - Related concept. Tradition. Can be the source of `墨守成规` but is not inherently negative itself.
• 安于现状 (ān yú xiàn zhuàng) - Related concept. To be content with the status quo. This is less about stubbornly defending old rules and more about a lack of ambition to change or improve.