守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù): lit. to guard a tree-stump

After graduating, he refused to actively look for a job and every day just waited passively, hoping a good opportunity would come knocking on his door.

In business, you need to actively understand customers' needs; you can't just wait passively, or competitors will quickly snatch away your market.

When learning a language, you can't just wait for something to happen; memorizing a few words and hoping to communicate fluently isn't enough—you must listen, speak, and practice a lot.

Researchers shouldn't just wait passively for accidental discoveries; they should conduct experiments and collect data in a planned way.

Fishermen all know that waiting passively won't catch any fish; they must take the initiative to go out to sea and look for schools of fish based on the changing seasons and currents.