The word "执迷不悟" is formed from four characters: 执 (to persist), 迷 (to be deluded), 不 (not), and 悟 (to realize). It directly combines these elements, where 执迷 means "persist in delusion" and 不悟 means "not awaken", resulting in a literal meaning of "persist in being deluded and not realize", describing someone stubbornly clinging to mistaken ideas without correction.