"On paper" is an idiom derived from historical stories, and its related allusions were first found in Historical Records, Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. An armchair strategist originally meant that Zhao Kuo was familiar with the art of war, but he could not use it flexibly. Later, it means that empty talk can't solve practical problems, and it also means that empty talk can't become a reality. Can be used as predicate, object and attribute in a sentence; With a derogatory connotation.
Zhao Kuo, the son of Zhao She, a famous soldier of the State of Zhao in the Warring States period, studied the art of war and talked about military affairs from an early age. He once talked with his father, Zhao She, about military affairs. Zhao She couldn't find fault with him, but he never praised him. Zhao Kuo's mother asked Zhao She why. Zhao She said: War is a matter of life and death, but Zhao Kuo said it simply.
Zhao doesn't need Zhao Kuo as a general, but if he is used as a general, Zhao will be in danger. In 260 BC, Qin and Zhao fought fiercely in Changping, and both sides dispatched more than one million troops. Zhao lost the first battle, and Lian Po ordered him to stick to it. Knowing that Zhao's troops were weak and he could not fight recklessly with Qin Jun, Lian Po relied on favorable terrain and ordered his soldiers to stick to the camp in order to kill, and then waited for an opportunity to counterattack.
The Qin and Zhao armies were deadlocked in Changping for several months, and Zhao gradually could not afford the army's food and grass expenses. Zhao Haoqi Cheng Xiao was anxious to make a quick decision. He thought that Lian Po could not persist because of cowardice, and ordered him to take the initiative several times. When Qin learned of it, he sent people to Zhao to spread rumors, claiming that he was most afraid of Zhao Kuo. If Zhao Kuo gave the order, he would not be able to stop it.
Literally, this idiom means:
The idiom "an armchair strategist" often describes a person who can only talk but can't solve practical problems. As the saying goes, doing well is better than saying well. This requires thinking more, keeping quiet, talking less and doing more. Zhao Kuo knew the contents of the book by heart, but he had no practical experience, so when it came to practical operation, he immediately lost his direction.
Democritus, an ancient Greek thinker, said that the realization of ideals depends only on actions, not empty talk. Indeed, no matter what you do, you can't just talk about theory, methods and resources. Only according to the actual situation, flexible use, apply the learned knowledge to solve practical problems, can we accomplish things efficiently, and the learned knowledge can really play a role.
Do not proceed from reality, pay attention to practical experience, only talk about theory, and the final result of "talking on paper" is often a crushing defeat. As a manager, if you can't be a good person, but you are confused by people who talk too much, it will lead to mistakes in decision-making, and the consequences will be unimaginable.