expression
immovable as a mountain; imperturbable; unshakable
A set phrase from Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War', used to describe someone or something that remains completely still, unyielding, or unflappable. Often applied to a person who refuses to budge or change their stance, whether from resolve, stubbornness, or laziness.
彼は動かざること山の如しで、説得しても全く意見を変えなかった。
He was as immovable as a mountain and didn't change his opinion at all even after persuasion.
孫子の兵法に「動かざること山の如し」とある。
In Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War', it says 'be immovable like a mountain'.
泰然自若 describes a calm and composed demeanor under pressure, whereas 動かざること山の如し can imply stubborn refusal to move or change, sometimes with a negative connotation of laziness.
A direct quotation from Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' (孫子の兵法), originally in classical Chinese. The phrase entered Japanese as a set expression, retaining its classical grammar (ざる negative form and 如し).