Literal meaning

guard (守) — stump (株) — wait (待) — rabbit (兔)

Origin

Han Feizi (《韩非子·五蠹》). A farmer in the state of Song saw a rabbit accidentally crash into a tree stump and break its neck. He happily took it home for dinner. Hoping for more, he abandoned his fields and sat by the stump every day waiting for another rabbit. The fields went fallow and he became a laughingstock. Han Fei used the story to criticize rulers who kept applying yesterday's successful methods to today's new situation without adapting. The lesson generalized into a critique of any passive, hope-based strategy.

Examples

Usage & nuances

Critical / mocking tone — used to gently shame passive behavior. Common in motivational, career, and entrepreneurship contexts. Doesn't quite work for "patience" — it specifically describes wishful waiting for something that worked once.