To follow a path that led to failure in the past; to repeat a previous disastrous mistake.

to be precisely the same or follow the same pattern

at one's wit's end or unable to find a way out

the wheel ruts or tracks left by a cart that has overturned

to act in a way that defeats one's purpose

wheel rut; vehicle track

to change one's direction, policy, or approach completely; to make a radical change of course or start anew

consistent with each other or on the same track

to look for a pretext or find a way out

a person in dire straits or a life-threatening situation who is in urgent need of help

established ways or traditional precedents

to drive non-stop as fast as one can

a complete change from the old rut; a dramatic change of direction, practices, or a volte-face

to help each other out in hard times (idiom)

Su Zhe (1039-1112), Song dynasty writer and politician, one of the Three Sus and the Eight Giants of Tang and Song Prose.