jígōngjìnlì: 急功近利 - Shortsighted, Seeking Quick Success and Instant Gratification

• Keywords: jigongjinli, 急功近利, Chinese idiom for shortsighted, seeking quick success, instant gratification, Chinese business culture, chengyu, utilitarian, long-term vs short-term, Chinese proverbs.
• Summary: 急功近利 (jígōngjìnlì) is a widely used Chinese idiom (chengyu) that criticizes a shortsighted mindset focused on immediate benefits and quick achievements, while ignoring long-term consequences. It describes a person, company, or policy that cuts corners or takes an unsustainable path for a fast reward. Understanding this term is crucial for grasping Chinese cultural values that prioritize patience, sustainable growth, and a solid foundation over quick, superficial wins.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jígōngjìnlì
• Part of Speech: Idiom (Chengyu), Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: Eager for quick success and immediate profit.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine a farmer who, instead of waiting for his crops to grow, yanks on the seedlings to try and make them taller, only to kill them in the process. That's the essence of 急功近利. It's the “get rich quick” mentality applied to any aspect of life—career, learning, or relationships. It carries a strong negative connotation, implying a lack of wisdom, patience, and ethical consideration. It's a critique of any approach that sacrifices future stability for a fleeting, present-day gain.

• 急 (jí): Anxious, hurried, urgent. It conveys a sense of impatience and rushing.
• 功 (gōng): Achievement, merit, success, or result.
• 近 (jìn): Near, close, short-term.
• 利 (lì): Benefit, profit, gain.

These characters combine literally to mean “anxious for achievement, near-term benefit.” The imagery is clear: someone frantically chasing after a reward that is right in front of them, completely blind to the bigger picture or the path further ahead.

In Chinese culture, which has deep roots in agricultural and Confucian values, patience, perseverance, and long-term planning are highly esteemed virtues. Idioms like `滴水穿石 (dī shuǐ chuān shí)` - “dripping water penetrates stone” - celebrate the power of consistent, gradual effort. `急功近利` stands in direct opposition to this philosophy. It's a powerful cultural critique used to condemn actions that lack foresight and substance. A Westerner might confuse `急功近利` with being “ambitious” or “results-driven.” However, this is a critical distinction. While a “go-getter” in the West is often praised for actively pursuing goals, `急功近利` is almost always a criticism. The difference lies in the method and time horizon.

• Results-driven (Western Positive): Works hard and efficiently toward a goal, but generally within an ethical framework.
• 急功近利 (Chinese Negative): Prioritizes the immediate result above all else, often by cutting corners, cheating, or employing unsustainable methods that will cause problems later.

Therefore, `急功近利` isn't about the desire to succeed, but the foolish and often unethical obsession with succeeding *right now*.

This idiom is extremely relevant in modern China, often used to comment on the side effects of rapid economic development.

• In Business: It's used to criticize companies that pollute the environment for quick profits, sell low-quality products for a fast buck, or overwork their employees to meet impossible deadlines. It's the mindset of “growth at all costs.”
• In Education: This is a very common criticism of the modern Chinese education system. It describes parents or schools that force students to memorize facts just to pass the `高考 (gāokǎo)` (college entrance exam), rather than fostering a genuine love for learning and critical thinking. This is seen as a `急功近利` approach that harms a child's long-term development.
• In Personal Life: It can describe a person who goes on a crash diet instead of developing healthy eating habits, or someone who uses manipulative tactics in a relationship for immediate gratification instead of building genuine trust.

The connotation is always negative and judgmental. To call someone `急功近利` is to say they are foolish, shortsighted, and probably untrustworthy.

• Example 1:
  • 我们公司的老板太急功近利了，为了降低成本，竟然使用劣质材料。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī de lǎobǎn tài jígōngjìnlì le, wèile jiàngdī chéngběn, jìngrán shǐyòng lièzhì cáiliào.
  • English: Our company's boss is too shortsighted; in order to cut costs, he actually used inferior materials.
  • Analysis: A classic business context. The term directly criticizes the boss's decision-making as prioritizing short-term profit over product quality and reputation.
• Example 2:
  • 这种只为应付考试的学习方法，是一种急功近利的表现。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng zhǐ wèi yìngfù kǎoshì de xuéxí fāngfǎ, shì yī zhǒng jígōngjìnlì de biǎoxiàn.
  • English: This method of studying only to deal with exams is a manifestation of shortsightedness.
  • Analysis: This directly addresses the educational context. It frames “cramming” not as a clever strategy, but as a flawed, `急功近利` approach to knowledge.
• Example 3:
  • 做任何事情都不能急功近利，要脚踏实地，一步一个脚印。
  • Pinyin: Zuò rèn-hé shìqing dōu bùnéng jígōngjìnlì, yào jiǎotàshídì, yībù yīgè jiǎoyìn.
  • English: In doing anything, you can't be shortsighted and eager for quick success; you must be down-to-earth and proceed one step at a time.
  • Analysis: This sentence sets up `急功近利` as the direct opposite of the valued trait `脚踏实地` (down-to-earth, practical). This is a common piece of advice.
• Example 4:
  • 政府的这个决定有点急功近利，没有考虑到长远的环境影响。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ de zhège juédìng yǒudiǎn jígōngjìnlì, méiyǒu kǎolǜ dào chángyuǎn de huánjìng yǐngxiǎng.
  • English: This government decision is a bit shortsighted; it didn't consider the long-term environmental impact.
  • Analysis: Shows how the term can be used to critique policy and large-scale decisions.
• Example 5:
  • 他为了快速增肌而使用药物，真是太急功近利了，对身体伤害很大。
  • Pinyin: Tā wèile kuàisù zēngjī ér shǐyòng yàowù, zhēnshi tài jígōngjìnlì le, duì shēntǐ shānghài hěn dà.
  • English: He used drugs to gain muscle quickly, which is really shortsighted and very harmful to his body.
  • Analysis: A personal health and development example. The negative consequence is explicitly stated, reinforcing the meaning of the idiom.
• Example 6:
  • 投资不能急功近利，要有耐心，追求长期稳定的回报。
  • Pinyin: Tóuzī bùnéng jígōngjìnlì, yào yǒu nàixīn, zhuīqiú chángqī wěndìng de huíbào.
  • English: When investing, you can't be focused on immediate gains; you need to have patience and seek stable, long-term returns.
  • Analysis: This is common advice in the world of finance, perfectly capturing the spirit of the idiom.
• Example 7:
  • 如果你总是这么急功近利，最终会失去朋友们的信任。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ zǒngshì zhème jígōngjìnlì, zuìzhōng huì shīqù péngyǒumen de xìnrèn.
  • English: If you are always so shortsighted and opportunistic, you will eventually lose your friends' trust.
  • Analysis: This example applies the concept to interpersonal relationships, showing its versatility.
• Example 8:
  • 放弃基础研究而只关注能快速变现的应用技术，是不是一种急功近利的发展模式？
  • Pinyin: Fàngqì jīchǔ yánjiū ér zhǐ guānzhù néng kuàisù biànxiàn de yìngyòng jìshù, shì bùshì yī zhǒng jígōngjìnlì de fāzhǎn móshì?
  • English: Giving up basic research to only focus on applied technology that can be quickly monetized, isn't that a shortsighted development model?
  • Analysis: A rhetorical question used in a more formal or academic discussion about science and technology policy.
• Example 9:
  • 很多年轻人陷入急功近利的陷阱，渴望一夜成名。
  • Pinyin: Hěnduō niánqīng rén xiànrù jígōngjìnlì de xiànjǐng, kěwàng yīyè chéngmíng.
  • English: Many young people fall into the trap of seeking instant success, longing to become famous overnight.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses “trap” (陷阱) to describe the allure of `急功近利`, linking it to the modern desire for instant fame.
• Example 10:
  • 把一个复杂的项目急功近利地赶完，结果就是漏洞百出。
  • Pinyin: Bǎ yīgè fùzá de xiàngmù jígōngjìnlì de gǎnwán, jiéguǒ jiùshì lòudòng bǎi chū.
  • English: Rushing to finish a complex project with a shortsighted mentality resulted in it being full of bugs.
  • Analysis: Uses the `把 (bǎ)` structure to show the result of an action done in a `急功近利` manner. The idiom here functions as an adverbial phrase describing how the project was finished.

• False Friend: “Ambitious” vs. “急功近利”

A common mistake for English speakers is to equate `急功近利` with ambition. Ambition (`雄心 - xióngxīn` or `有野心 - yǒu yěxīn`) can be neutral or even positive in Chinese. `急功近利` is never positive. It specifically criticizes the *shortsighted and often unethical methods* used to achieve a goal, not the desire for the goal itself. Someone ambitious might work hard for 10 years to build a company; someone `急功近利` would create a scam to get rich in 10 days.

• Incorrect Usage:
  • Incorrect: 他很急功近利，所以很快就成功了。(Tā hěn jígōngjìnlì, suǒyǐ hěn kuài jiù chénggōng le.) → “He is very shortsighted, so he succeeded quickly.”
  • Why it's wrong: This sentence is contradictory. While the action might lead to a quick “success,” the term `急功近利` itself carries the inherent judgment that this success is flawed, unsustainable, or came at a great long-term cost. The sentence feels like saying, “He foolishly succeeded.”
  • Corrected Version: 他急功近利的做法虽然让他短期内获得了成功，但最终导致了公司的破产。(Tā jígōngjìnlì de zuòfǎ suīrán ràng tā duǎnqí nèi huòdéle chénggōng, dàn zuìzhōng dǎozhìle gōngsī de pòchǎn.) → “Although his shortsighted methods brought him success in the short term, they ultimately led to the company's bankruptcy.” This properly frames the short-term gain against the long-term failure.

• 拔苗助长 (bá miáo zhù zhǎng) - “To pull up seedlings to help them grow.” A perfect allegory and near-synonym for ruining something by trying to rush its progress.
• 杀鸡取卵 (shā jī qǔ luǎn) - “To kill the chicken to get the eggs.” A vivid metaphor for destroying a long-term resource for an immediate, one-time gain.
• 饮鸩止渴 (yǐn zhèn zhǐ kě) - “To drink poison to quench thirst.” Refers to a shortsighted solution that will cause much greater harm in the long run.
• 目光短浅 (mùguāng duǎnqiǎn) - “Short-sighted; myopic.” A more direct, less idiomatic way to describe the core problem of `急功近利`.
• 投机取巧 (tóujī qǔqiǎo) - “To be opportunistic; to speculate and grab a profit.” Shares the sense of using clever, often unethical shortcuts for personal gain.
• 高瞻远瞩 (gāozhānyuǎnzhǔ) - (Antonym) “To stand high and see far; to be farsighted and sagacious.” The ideal quality that a `急功近利` person lacks.
• 脚踏实地 (jiǎo tà shí dì) - (Antonym) “To have one's feet firmly on the ground; to be down-to-earth.” Praises a steady, reliable, and practical approach to work and life.
• 浮躁 (fúzào) - “Impetuous, impulsive, fickle.” An adjective describing the personality and social atmosphere that often leads to `急功近利` behavior.