慮

Semantic–phonetic compound:

思 (to think) — semantic indicator (mental action)

虍 (tiger’s head pattern) — phonetic element, provides the sound, but some scholars also interpret it symbolically as “a mind alert like a tiger,” implying cautious and deliberate thought.

Over time, 慮 came to mean:

careful thinking → consideration → concern → anxiety.

염려 (憂慮) — anxiety, worry

고려 (考慮) — consideration

무염려 (無慮) — without worry

경려 (警慮) — alert caution

慮 often appears in political and philosophical contexts, referring to careful planning or foresight.

In poetry and classical prose, 慮 frequently carries an emotional nuance close to concern or inner anxiety.

慮 belongs to a family of “mental-action” characters with 心 as a component: 思, 想, 念, 憂, 慮, 慢, 恐.

Classical citations:

《論語·衛靈公》 (The Analects)

「人無遠慮，必有近憂。」

“If a person has no foresight (far-reaching consideration), he will surely face immediate worries.”

《孟子·滕文公上》 (Mencius)

「故天將降大任於是人也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨，…行拂亂其所為，所以動心忍性，曾益其所不能。入則無法家拂士，出則無敵國外患者，國恒亡。然後知生於憂患而死於安樂也。」

"Therefore, when heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a man, it first afflicts his heart with sorrow, exhausts his body with labor, and disrupts his actions. This is to stir his resolve and temper his character, thereby increasing what he is incapable of. If a state has no wise ministers to offer frank counsel within, and no formidable enemies to threaten from without, it will inevitably perish. Only then does one understand that adversity breeds survival, while complacency leads to demise."

While not using 慮 itself, this passage establishes the philosophical backdrop of “concern, deliberation (慮)” in governance.

《莊子·讓王》 (Zhuangzi)

「澤及萬民，而不自慮。」

“His benevolence reached all the people, yet he did not think of (or concern himself with) his own interests.”