The student surpasses the teacher; the apprentice outdoes the master. It metaphorically describes how a successor or a younger generation can achieve greater things than their predecessors or mentors.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
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Story:
During the Northern Wei dynasty, the scholar Li Mi was a very diligent student under the literature doctor Kong Fan. He studied assiduously, was humble and eager to learn, and improved very quickly.
After several years, Li Mi's scholarship surpassed that of his teacher, Kong Fan, who in turn began to seek advice from Li Mi.
The other students composed a song about this: 'Blue originates from indigo, but indigo yields to blue; a teacher's status is not constant, it lies in understanding the classics thoroughly.'