초판발행 2026. 01. 02

머리말

『교육철학잡기』 일곱 번째, 제7권이다. 늦어진 글, 다시 『잡기』! 아, 시름에 빠진다. 어쩌면, 최근 몇 년간의 시공간은 내 인생에서 가장 힘든 세월인지도 모르겠다. 2023년 6월 28일에 장모님이 세상을 떠났다. 8월 15일에 49재를 지냈다. 2년 전에 먼저 피안으로 여행 간 나의 아내, 그 딸을 가슴에 품고, 94세로 일생을 마쳤다. 이후 상당 기간, 우울한 나날을 보냈다.

2020년-21년-23년, 이 3년여의 시간에는 슬픔만이 가득 찼다. 아버지와 장인은 이미 오래전에 떠나셨고, 이제 엄마와 아내, 그리고 장모까지 떠나셨으니, 천애고아(天涯孤兒)가 되었다. 더구나 안동 시우실에 은둔하다 보니, 천애고독(天涯孤獨)이다. 엊그제 떠나신 장모는, 피안(彼岸)에서 나의 데미안을 만날 때 어떠했을까? 반가웠을까? 안타까웠을까? 엄마와 아내와 장모 모두, 생전에 그랬듯이, 살아 있는 자들의 행복한 삶을 간절히 기원(祈願)하고 있으리라.

이러저러한 사정으로, 글이 제대로 손에 잡히지 않아, 이미 예약된 기본 활동과 농사 같지 않은 농사, 그리고 마당 잔디밭의 잡초 뽑기 등을 이어 가며 시간을 보냈다. 여러 가지 생각을 하다가, 밤 산책을 나왔다. 망천 시우실의 밤하늘에 반짝이는 별들이 너무 아름다웠다. 나의 데미안이 웃고 있는 것처럼 훤하다.

2023년 11월에 『교육철학잡기』 6권을 펴낸 후, 거의 2년이 지났다. 이번의 7권은 그간 틈틈이 보며 정돈해 놓은 고사성어(故事成語)를 모았다.

주지하다시피, 고사성어는, 옛날의 일, 즉 고사(故事)에서 유래한, 한자로 이루어진 관용어를 말한다. 특히, 과거 중국에서 일어난 역사적 사건이나 전설, 우화 등에서 비롯되어, 하나의 관용적 표현으로 굳어진 말이다. 두 글자에서 네다섯 글자에 이르기까지, 아주 짧은 몇 글자에 함축된 내용은, 그 의미가 너무나 짙다. 인생의 희로애락을 담은 동시에, 삶의 교훈과 지혜를 던져 주기에, 수시로 음미하며 성찰하는 계기로 삼으련다.

2025. 11. 입동(立冬) 절기에

안동 시우실 망천서재에서

신창호

신창호

현) 고려대학교 교수

이메일 sudang@korea.ac.kr

차례

가인박명(佳人薄命) - 아름다운 사람, 기구한 운명 ································ 2

가정맹호(苛政猛虎) - 가혹한 정치, 공포의 화신 ··································· 5

각자위정(各自爲政) - 제멋대로의 행동, 자기만의 정치 ························· 8

간담초월(肝膽楚越) - 다른 마음, 등지고 사는 인생 ···························· 10

강퍅자용(剛愎自用) - 고집불통, 우쭐대는 태도 ··································· 13

개과천선(改過遷善) - 잘못을 고쳐 나가는 착한 사람 ························· 16

거안제미(擧案齊眉) - 공경하는 마음, 싹트는 사랑 ······························ 18

견토지쟁(犬兎之爭) - 쓸데없는 다툼, 제3자의 이익 ···························· 21

결초보은(結草報恩) - 죽어서도 못 잊고 갚는 은혜 ····························· 23

경원(敬遠) - 공경, 그 적절한 거리 ······················································· 26

계란유골(鷄卵有骨) - 기회를 잡지 못하는 나쁜 운수 ························· 28

계명구도(鷄鳴拘盜) - 쓸모없음의 쓸모 있음 ········································ 30

계발(啓發) - 열망과 분발, 자기 노력 ··················································· 33

곡학아세(曲學阿世) - 비뚤어진 학문, 아부로 얼룩진 세상 ·················· 36

괄목상대(刮目相對) - 쉼 없는 공부, 박식함의 여유 ···························· 38

광풍제월(光風霽月) - 맑은 하늘, 시원한 바람과 둥근달 같은 인품 ········ 40

권토중래(捲土重來) - 실패와 도전, 희망과 의지 ································· 42

귀감(龜鑑) - 거울에 비춰 본 인간의 모습 ··········································· 46

금의환향(錦衣還鄕) - 성공한 인생, 빛나는 자태 ································· 48

기사회생(起死回生) - 죽은 목숨, 새 생명 탄생 ··································· 50

남상(濫觴) - 작은 샘 큰 강물, 그 시초 ················································ 54

낭패(狼狽) - 조급하고 다급한 처지와 곤경 ········································· 56

농락(籠絡) - 구속과 제한, 얕은 잔꾀 ··················································· 59

다기망양(多岐亡羊) - 다양성에서 오는 혼란 ········································ 61

단기지교(斷機之敎) - 중도 포기, 교육 소홀 ········································ 64

단장(斷腸) - 극한 슬픔, 애통의 끝 ······················································· 67

당랑거철(螳螂拒轍) - 분수 파악, 허세의 함정 ····································· 69

대기만성(大器晩成) - 긴 시간, 큰 인물 ················································ 72

대단원(大團圓) - 보름달처럼 원만한 얼굴 ··········································· 74

대의멸친(大義滅親) - 국가적 의리, 개인적 친분 ································· 77

도원경(桃源境) - 행복한 나라, 이상사회 ·············································· 80

동공이곡(同工異曲) - 다르게 보이는 것들의 동일함 ··························· 83

동병상련(同病相憐) - 비슷한 부류, 이해하는 마음 ······························ 86

두각(頭角) - 학문과 기예, 뛰어난 재능 ················································ 88

등용문(登龍門) - 난관 돌파, 약진의 계기 ············································ 90

맥수지탄(麥秀之嘆) - 망해 버린 나라를 보는 한숨 소리 ···················· 92

면목(面目) - 부끄러운 얼굴, 최후의 탄식 ············································ 95

명경지수(明鏡止水) - 먼지 없는 거울, 인격자 ····································· 97

목탁(木鐸) - 세상의 바른 도리를 전하는 선각 ···································· 99

무용지용(無用之用) - 쓸모없게 보이는 존재의 이유 ························· 102

문전성시(門前成市) - 많은 사람, 어울림의 의미 ································ 105

물의(物議) - 사람들의 평판, 논평과 비난 ·········································· 108

미봉책(彌縫策) - 터진 곳 꿰매기, 임시로 채워 넣는 작업 ·············· 110

발본색원(拔本塞源) - 뿌리 뽑고 샘 막기, 완전한 처치 ····················· 112

방약무인(傍若無人) - 주위를 의식하지 않는 의기충천 ······················ 114

배반낭자(杯盤狼藉) - 일의 끝, 혼란과 쇠퇴 ······································· 116

백면서생(白面書生) - 오직 글, 경험 없는 무지한 인생 ····················· 119

백미(白眉) - 흰 눈썹, 가장 뛰어난 존재 ············································ 121

백발백중(百發百中) - 겨누는 곳, 모두 맞히는 실력 ·························· 123

백안시(白眼視) - 반갑지 않은 사람, 냉정한 눈길 ······························ 126

복수불반분(覆水不返盆) - 일그러진 일, 회복하기 힘든 상황 ············ 128

불구대천지수(不俱戴天之讎) - 원수, 복수, 그리고 용서 ···················· 130

불초(不肖) - 어리석은 사람, 부족한 인간 ·········································· 132

붕정만리(鵬程萬里) - 상상 초월, 원대한 포부 ··································· 134

사면초가(四面楚歌) - 홀로 포위, 외롭고 곤란한 지경 ······················· 136

사이비(似而非) - 진짜처럼 보이는 가짜, 허위 포장 ·························· 139

사자후(獅子吼) - 위엄 서린 설법과 열변 ··········································· 141

새옹지마(塞翁之馬) - 재앙과 행복, 상황의 변화 ································ 144

석권(席卷) - 공략과 성취, 세력 확장 ················································· 147

선입견(先入見) - 근거 없는 판단의 기준 ··········································· 149

선즉제인(先卽制人) - 선수, 결정적 승패 요인 ··································· 151

수어지교(水魚之交) - 친밀한 관계, 우정의 광장 ································ 154

수즉다욕(壽則多辱) - 장수하는 행복, 치욕의 경계 ···························· 157

승당입실(升堂入室) - 높은 수준, 깊은 경지 ······································· 160

식언(食言) - 약속 번복, 거짓 불신 ····················································· 162

식자우환(識字憂患) - 설치고 나대는 행동, 비웃음 ···························· 164

실사구시(實事求是) - 사실 토대, 진리 탐구 ······································· 167

아수라장(阿修羅場) - 피비린내 싸움터, 전쟁의 참상 ························ 170

안도(安堵) - 담장 울타리, 안정과 평안 ·············································· 172

암중모색(暗中摸索) - 글 속에서 찾아 나가는 인생 ··························· 175

약관(弱冠) - 어리고 약한 시절의 극복 ·············································· 177

약법삼장(約法三章) - 적합한 규정, 편안한 삶 ··································· 180

양두구육(羊頭狗肉) - 거짓 간판, 나쁜 물건 ······································· 183

양상군자(梁上君子) - 욕망의 절제, 용서하는 품격 ···························· 185

양약고구(良藥苦口) - 충고와 아부, 인생의 갈림길 ···························· 187

어부지리(漁夫之利) - 양보 없는 버티기, 가로채는 이득 ··················· 190

역린(逆鱗) - 의사 전달, 설득의 기술 ················································· 192

연리지(連理枝) - 화목과 화합, 사랑의 징표 ······································· 195

연목구어(緣木求魚) - 목적과 수단의 불일치, 성공 불가능 ················ 197

오리무중(五里霧中) - 희미함, 파악하기 힘든 세상 ···························· 200

오우천월(吳牛喘月) - 미리 하는 걱정, 불러일으키는 곤란 ················ 202

와신상담(臥薪嘗膽) - 고난의 시간, 인내의 열정 ································ 204

완벽(完璧) - 무결점의 인간, 훌륭함의 상징 ······································· 206

요령부득(要領不得) - 실패의 길, 성공의 이면 ··································· 208

우공이산(愚公移山) - 어렵고 험한 일, 끊임없는 노력 ······················· 210

우화등선(羽化登仙) - 고통스런 현실, 미래의 이상향 ························ 213

위여누란(危如累卵) - 불안정, 위태로운 지경 ····································· 216

위편삼절(韋編三絶) - 소중한 내용, 반복하는 공부 ···························· 219

이심전심(以心傳心) - 마음으로 통하고 깨닫는 일 ····························· 221

일거수일투족(一擧手一投足) - 약간의 수고로움,

딛고 일어서는 계기 ······································································· 223

일자천금(一字千金) - 완결성, 탁월한 인재 초빙 ································ 226

조강지처(糟糠之妻) - 구차하고 비천한 시절, 함께 고생한 사람 ······· 229

조령모개(朝令暮改) - 현실 무시, 원칙 없는 무일관성 ······················· 232

지록위마(指鹿爲馬) - 농락, 휘두르는 권세 ········································ 234

지음(知音) - 나를 알아주는 친구 ······················································· 237

천리안(千里眼) - 충실함, 미래를 내다보는 능력 ································ 239

청천벽력(靑天霹靂) - 뜻밖의 사태, 급격한 변화 ································ 242

촌철살인(寸鐵殺人) - 잡된 생각, 번쩍 깨치는 순간 ·························· 245

쾌도난마(快刀亂麻) - 가혹한 탄압, 신속한 처리 ································ 247

화사첨족(畵蛇添足) - 쓸데없는 짓, 안하는 것만 못한 일 ················· 249