安常习故 (Ān cháng xí gù)

Basic Info

• Chinese Idiom: 安常习故 (Ān cháng xí gù)
• Pinyin: ān cháng xí gù
• Literal meaning: “To be at ease with the normal and accustomed to the old.”
  (安 = to be at peace with / content with; 常 = the normal / routine; 习 = accustomed to / habituated; 故 = the old / former practices)

Figurative Definition

It describes a person or organization that is comfortable with routine and habituated to old ways of doing things – someone who follows convention and precedent without questioning them, and who resists change or reform. It is usually critical, implying conservatism, inertia, and a lack of innovation.

In short: stuck in one’s ways, doing things simply because that is how they have always been done.

Cultural & Historical Origin

This idiom comes from the Southern Song Dynasty philosopher Lu Jiuyuan (陆九渊), in his “Letter to Qian Botong” (《与钱伯同书》).

The original passage says:

虽当世君子，往往不免安常习故之患。

Even the gentlemen of our time often cannot avoid the affliction of being content with routine and accustomed to the old.

Lu Jiuyuan – a major Neo‑Confucian thinker known for his emphasis on the mind and moral self‑cultivation – was criticizing the intellectual and political culture of his day. Even well‑meaning scholars and officials, he lamented, tended to accept established practices uncritically rather than thinking independently or pursuing genuine reform.

From this critique, the idiom “安常习故” became a standard expression for conservative inertia and resistance to change.

Key Lesson

Tradition has value – but blind habit is dangerous. Not everything old is wrong, and not everything new is right. However, doing something only because it has always been done that way is not wisdom – it is inertia. The wise person examines inherited practices, keeps what is good, and boldly reforms what is outdated. Progress requires the courage to question the familiar.

Cultural Note

In modern Chinese, “安常习故” is generally negative and is used to criticize:

• Bureaucracies that resist reform.
• Managers who refuse to try new methods.
• Individuals stuck in outdated habits.
• Institutions that prioritize tradition over improvement.

It is closely related to:

• 循规蹈矩 (xún guī dǎo jǔ) – “following the rules and treading the beaten path.”
• 墨守成规 (mò shǒu chéng guī) – “sticking stubbornly to established rules.”
• 因循守旧 (yīn xún shǒu jiù) – “following the old ways without change.”

Its opposite is 推陈出新 (tuī chén chū xīn) – “to push out the old and bring forth the new” – the virtue of innovation and renewal.

Similar English Expressions

• Stuck in one’s ways – Unwilling or unable to change habits.
• Set in one’s ways – Firmly fixed in established habits or opinions.
• To follow tradition blindly – Doing things only because they are customary.
• Resistant to change – Unwilling to adopt new methods or ideas.
• Conservative / Conventional – Preferring established practices over innovation.
• To stick to the beaten path – Following the familiar, established route.
• Business as usual – Continuing in the same old way, often with a critical tone.
• To rest on one’s laurels – Becoming complacent after past success (related warning).

The closest natural equivalents are “stuck in one’s ways,” “set in one’s ways,” and “resistant to change.”

In short, “安常习故” means being content with routine and accustomed to the old – a sharp critique of conservatism and inertia, and a reminder that while tradition deserves respect, blind habit is the enemy of progress.