To make a fuss over something commonplace, often due to a lack of experience or a narrow perspective; to be surprised by the obvious due to inexperience.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, General Peng Chong, who had fought alongside Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) to establish the empire, felt unappreciated. He resented being subordinate to Zhu Fu, the governor of Youzhou, and contemplated rebellion.
Zhu Fu, aware of Peng Chong's intentions, wrote him a letter. In this letter, Zhu Fu recounted a tale: A farmer living by the Liao River once raised a white pig. Believing it to be extraordinarily rare and auspicious, he decided to present it to the emperor.
He set off with the pig, but upon reaching the Liaodong region, he discovered that white pigs were quite common there. Realizing his pig was nothing special, he had no choice but to return home.
Zhu Fu then implied that Peng Chong was like this farmer, overestimating his own significance and unique achievements, which, when viewed in a broader context, were not as exceptional as he imagined.