To accept or learn something without proper understanding, analysis, or critical thought; to swallow something whole without intellectually digesting it.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
There was once a person who told others, "Eating a little pear is good for your teeth, but eating too much will harm your spleen. Dates, on the other hand, can strengthen the spleen, but too many will harm your teeth."
One listener thought for a moment and said, "If I only chew the pear without swallowing, will it still harm my spleen? And if I don't chew the date, just swallow it whole, wouldn't that protect my teeth?"
Another young man, hearing this, joked, "Aren't you just swallowing the date whole then?" Everyone present laughed.
Moral: When we learn knowledge, we should not swallow it whole. First, we must clearly understand the knowledge we are going to learn, and then earnestly master it. If we only learn superficially, we will not acquire true knowledge.