纸上谈兵
- Literal
- to discuss warfare on paper
- Figurative
- To theorize without practical experience; to be an armchair strategist all talk and no action.
Where does 纸上谈兵 come from?
Zhao Kuo, son of the renowned general Zhao She of the state of Zhao, had mastered the military classics and could out-argue anyone on strategy; yet his own father warned he was unfit for real command. When he replaced the veteran general Lian Po at the head of the army in the battle of Changping against Qin, he applied his theories to the letter: he fell into a trap, died in battle, and some four hundred thousand Zhao soldiers were annihilated.
Source (出处): 《史记》
How is 纸上谈兵 used? Two examples
- 光说不练就是纸上谈兵，先动手做个原型再说。
All talk and no practice is just armchair theorizing; first get your hands dirty and build a prototype.
- 他从没带过团队，谈管理总有点纸上谈兵。
He's never led a team, so when he talks about management it always sounds like armchair theory.
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