To criticize people who rigidly adhere to rules, theories, or external standards, completely disregarding practical reality, personal experience, or actual conditions.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
In ancient times, there was a man from the State of Zheng who wanted to buy a pair of shoes. He measured his feet at home and carefully noted down the size. He then went to a shoe shop in the market.
After finding a pair of shoes he liked, he was about to make the purchase when he suddenly realized he had left his measurements at home. He announced that he had forgotten the measurements and needed to go back home to retrieve them before buying the shoes. So, he turned back.
However, by the time he returned to the market, it had already closed. A person standing nearby asked him, 'You are buying shoes for yourself, why didn't you just try them on to check the size? Why insist on following those measurements?'
The man from Zheng replied, 'I would rather trust the measurements I took than believe my own feet are accurate.'