Idiom Explanation:
It is a metaphor for people or things gathered together, beyond that category and above that group. Describe the character and talent of a person above his or her class.
Pronunciation:
出类拔萃
chū lèi bá cuì
Origin:
战国·孟子《孟子·公孙丑上》：“圣人之於民，亦类也。出於其类，拔乎其萃，自生民以来，未有盛于孔子也。”
Story:
Mencius, named Khor, character Zijiu, was a native of Zou (southeast of Zoucheng in present-day Shandong Province), and was a student of Confucius’ grandson, Tzu Si. Mencius was a great thinker and educator during the Warring States period. He inherited the Confucian doctrine of Confucius, whom he admired greatly and who, in his mind, was a superhuman genius and a saint.
One day, Gongsun Chou, a student of Mencius, asked Mencius, “Teacher, are you already a sage?” Mencius said, “Even Confucius did not dare to call himself a sage, so what am I?” Gongsun Chou cited Bo Yi, Yi Yin and others who were known for their virtues and asked Mencius if they were the same as Confucius. Mencius replied, “Since the beginning of mankind, there has been no one like Confucius.” Gongsun Chou then asked, “Then, how are they different from Confucius?”
Mencius borrowed a saying from Confucius’ student, Youruo, and said, “All that are alike can be compared. The unicorn and the walking beast, the phoenix and the flying bird, Mount Tai and the small mound of earth, the river and the sea and the small puddle, they are all of the same kind. But the former is far beyond its own kind. The sage and the common people are also of the same kind, both are human beings, but the sage is far beyond that class. Since the beginning of mankind, there has been no one greater than Confucius. Confucius is out of his class and above his class.”
Similar Idioms:
- 鹤立鸡群
- 超群绝伦
