拔毛济世 — “To make a small personal sacrifice for the greater good of humanity”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 拔毛济世?

指受轻微损失而能有利于世人。

拔毛济世 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a small personal sacrifice for the greater good of humanity”. To benefit the world by enduring a minor loss. Literally, “Pluck a hair to save the world”.

Frequency

拔毛济世 Pronunciation and Pinyin

拔毛济世 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
拔	bá	8	pull out or uproot
毛	máo	4	Hair, fur, or rough
济	jì	9	help overcome difficulties
世	shì	5	world, generation, era

Example Sentence with 拔毛济世

为了公司长远的发展，即使承担一点临时的不便，也是一种拔毛济世的举动。

For the long-term development of the company, even enduring a little temporary inconvenience is an act of making a small personal sacrifice for the greater good.

Origin and Story of 拔毛济世

During the Warring States period, Mozi, the representative of the Mohist school, advocated 'universal love' and 'non-aggression,' opposing selfishness and senseless feuds. His rival, Yang Zhu, on the other hand, advocated acting solely from self-interest, embodying the principle of 'for myself.'

Qin Huali, a student of Mozi, once asked Yang Zhu: 'Would you pluck a single hair from your body to benefit the whole world?' Yang Zhu retorted that the world could not be saved by merely a single hair.