Those not directly involved in a situation often have a clearer perspective and understanding of it than those who are caught up in it.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Antonym:
Story:
During the Tang Dynasty, minister Wei Guang submitted a memorial to Emperor Xuanzong, requesting that "Lei Li" (Categorized Rituals), compiled and revised by Wei Zheng, be designated as a classic.
Emperor Xuanzong then ordered Yuan Tan to proofread it. The Right Prime Minister Zhang Shuo argued that Zheng Xuan's annotations had already made it a classic.
In response, Yuan Tan wrote an essay titled "Shi Yi" (Clarification of Doubts) to express his view: Zheng Xuan's annotations were outdated. He explained that Wei Zheng was not a player in the game of interpreting rituals, but an onlooker, and therefore his annotations were more truthful and objective.