Having back-up plans is always a good idea. It’s one of those universal truths that is immutable across cultures.

In Chinese, the idiom “a crafty rabbit has three burrows” (狡兔三窟) captures this idea perfectly.

Wild rabbits dig burrows for safety and shelter. Whenever a rabbit senses danger, it retreats underground to a burrow that is closest and easiest to access.

This Chinese idiom uses the natural behavior of rabbits to stress the importance of being prepared and having options in your life.

The first mention of this idiom can be found in Annals of the Warring States. This is an ancient Chinese text that describes all the craziness that went down during the Warring States period (5th to 3rd centuries BCE).