opening Pandora's box
Starting irreversible trouble
Opening Pandora's box is unleashing troubles that cannot be contained or reversed.
From the Greek myth where Pandora opens a forbidden container and releases all evils into the world, the phrase warns against actions with unforeseen, irreversible consequences: Legalizing that drug would open Pandora's box.
The implication is that some things, once started, cannot be stopped.
- EpimetheusGreek titan of afterthought
- TheogonyHesiod's divine genealogy poem
- jarWide-mouthed storage vessel
- recklessnessCareless disregard for danger
- chaosComplete disorder and confusion
curiosity · unintended consequences · Trojan horse · tip of the iceberg · hope · evils · slippery slope · ripple effect · morality · responsibility · impulsivity · catastrophe · chain reaction · domino effect · existential risk · Greek mythology · lid · forbidden fruit
opening Pandora's boxplaying it safe
Avoiding unnecessary risk
erring on the side of caution · letting sleeping dogs lie · staying in one's lane · hedging one's bets · counting one's blessings
opening Pandora's boxbottling up
Containing emotions internally
suppressing · quarantining · locking away · burying the hatchet · sweeping under the rug
opened, opens, opener, openers, opening, openings, openly, openness, reopen