story
Greek
Pandora's Box
An action that, once taken, releases problems that cannot be put back.
Origin
The gods gave Pandora โ the first mortal woman โ a sealed jar (mistranslated as a box) and told her not to open it. Curiosity won. All evils flew out into the world; only Hope remained inside.
Modern usage
Used when an irreversible decision unleashes a cascade of consequences. Often as a verb: 'opening Pandora's box.'
In the wild
Once you allow exceptions, you've opened Pandora's box.โ common usage
Tags
curiosity
irreversible
consequence