This entry explains classical idiom “Cang huang fan fu” derived from Mozi ‑ On Dyeing. Stemming from the silk‑dyeing metaphor, it describes fickle, unpredictable shifts in circumstances, fortune or human dispositions.
Mozi uses the metaphor of dyeing silk to argue that human character and political outcomes are not innate but are shaped by environmental factors and peer associations. This reflects a strong emphasis on the power of external environment over individual disposition.