A man who came to Handan City to learn how to walk gracefully(邯鄲學步)
Zhuang Zhou was a thinker in China's Warring States period. One day, a scholar named Gongsun Long visited Zhuang Zhou at his home, and Gongsun Long had a deep conversation with Zhuang Zhou.
That night, Gongsun Long remembered his conversation with Zhuang Zhou and found that he could not understand what Zhuang Zhou had said.
He was very confused because he thought he was very clever and didn't know why he couldn't understand what Zhuang Zhou was saying. So he went to consult a nobleman named Wei Mou about this problem.
After listening to Gongsun Long's question, [Wei Mou] smiled and said to [Gongsun Long].
If a mosquito told you that he wanted to fly with a mountain on his back, would you believe it?
If a centipede told you he wanted to swim across a river, would you think it was possible?
Let me tell you a story.
The capital of the Zhao Kingdom was called Handan. Handan is a very cultured city. The people who live there are very familiar with the standards of various etiquettes, and their movements are very graceful. Even the way they walk is particularly beautiful.
There was a young man from the Yan Kingdom. He thought the way people walked in Handan City was very graceful, so he went to Handan City to learn how to walk gracefully.
After a year, the young man from Yan Kingdom had not learned to walk like the people in Handan City. What was even more ridiculous was that this young man forgot his original way of walking and could only move forward by crawling.
Wei Mou paused for a minute before continuing to speak to Gongsun Long.
Zhuang Zhou's knowledge is so rich, and what he understands are things you cannot understand now.
I suggest you go back and consolidate your current knowledge structure first.
It is normal that you cannot understand Zhuang Zhou's words in your current situation.
If you force yourself to understand what Zhuang Zhou said now, I think your original knowledge structure will collapse.
This idiom literally means a person who has gone to Handan City to learn how to walk gracefully.
It is used to describe a person who wants to learn the strengths of others, but later not only does he fail to learn the strengths of others, but he also loses his original strengths.
Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?
When you see the strengths of others, will you take the initiative to learn? Have you built up a complete knowledge structure and system of your own?
I hope this story can give you some new insights.
邯鄲學步(A man who came to Handan City to
learn how to walk gracefully)
莊周是中國的戰國時代一個思想家，有一天有一個名字叫做公孫龍的學者到莊周 的家中拜訪他，公孫龍與莊周進行了一場深度的對談。
那一天的晚上，公孫龍回想自已與莊周的對話過程後他發現自己完全無法理解莊周所說的話。
他很疑惑，因為他覺得自己很聰明，他不知道為何自己完全無法理解莊周所說的話，他就針對這個問題去請教一個名字叫做(魏牟)的貴族。
(魏牟)聽完公孫龍的問題後就笑著對(公孫龍)說。
如果有一隻蚊子對你說牠想要背著一座山飛行，你覺得這件事情可能發生嗎?
如果有一隻蜈蚣對你說牠想要游泳橫渡一條大河，你覺得這件事情可能發生嗎?
我說一個故事給你聽。
趙王國的首都的名字叫做邯鄲。邯鄲是一座很有文化的城市，住在那裏的人們都非常熟悉各種禮儀的規範而且動作非常的優雅，住在那裏的人們連走路都走得特別好看。
有一個燕王國的年輕人，他覺得邯鄲城中的人們走路的樣子非常優雅，所以他就到了邯鄲城中學習如何優雅的走路。
過了一年後，這個燕王國的年輕人沒有學會邯鄲城中的人的走路的方式，更令人覺得荒謬的事情是這個年輕人忘記了自己原先走路的方式，這個年輕人變的只能用爬行的方式前進。
魏牟停頓大約一分鐘後又接著對公孫龍說。
莊周的知識太豐富了，他所理解的事情是你現在所無法理解的。
我建議你還是先回去鞏固好自己現在所知道的知識結構。
你在現在的這種情況下你無法理解莊周的話是很正常的。
如果你現在就要強迫自己去理解莊周所說的話，我認為你會連自己原本的知識結構都會崩塌。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是一個到邯鄲城學習如何優雅的走路的人
這句成語被用來形容一個人想要學習別人的優點，但這個人後來沒不但沒有學到別人的優點而且這個人反而連自己原先的優點都失去了。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你看到別人的優點時你會主動去學習嗎?你是否已經建構出一套完整的屬於自己的知識結構與體系嗎?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為莊子-秋水
https://ctext.org/zhuangzi/floods-of-autumn/zh
2025/02/13更新