Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M1056

Removing Firewood from Under the Pot

Removing Firewood from Under the Pot
TechnicalHigh supportTraditional Chinese Medicine
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

Removing Firewood from Under the Pot is the nineteenth stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. It refers to removing the firewood from under the pot. Synonyms: cutting off the roots and withering the leaves. The original text reads: 'When unable to match the enemy's strength, diminish their momentum; this is the image of Dui below and Qian above.' (When unable to confront the enemy's powerful frontal force, one must eliminate the root cause that allows the enemy's strength to exist or arise; eliminate the opposite on which things depend for existence and development, then the frontal aspect of things will find it difficult to exist and develop.)

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Removing Firewood from Under the Pot is the nineteenth stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. It refers to removing the firewood from under the pot. Synonyms: cutting off the roots and withering the leaves. The original text reads: 'When unable to match the enemy's strength, diminish their momentum; this is the image of Dui below and Qian above.' (When unable to confront the enemy's powerful frontal force, one must eliminate the root cause that allows the enemy's strength to exist or arise; eliminate the opposite on which things depend for existence and development, then the frontal aspect of things will find it difficult to exist and develop.)

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Anchor fast decisions

It metaphorically means solving the problem at its root—removing the firewood from under the pot to stop the water from boiling, rather than merely skimming off the foam; in traditional Chinese medicine, it also refers to purging excess fire and directly attacking the root of the disease.

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%87%9C%E5%BA%95%E6%8A%BD%E8%96%AAZH · Explicit
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