開門揖盜
Opening the Gate to Bow the Thief In
Meaning
To open your own gate and bow the robber in — inviting disaster through your own negligence at the very moment vigilance is needed.
Origin story
When Sun Ce, the young conqueror of the Southland, was cut down by assassins, nineteen-year-old Sun Quan abandoned state affairs to weep for his brother. The elder statesman Zhang Zhao pulled him to his feet: "The realm is a den of fighting wolves. To drown in grief with the gates standing open is to bow the robber into your own house." Even in mourning, he must don armor and inspect the troops. Sun Quan dried his tears, mounted his horse, reviewed the camps — and the Southland passed unshaken into its next era.
Source: Records of the Three Kingdoms — Sun Quan (Zhang Zhao’s counsel)
People
Modern examples
- Putting off security patches is opening the gate and bowing the hackers in.
- Squabbling internally while a rival took the market — we opened the door to the thief ourselves.