What does pot calling the kettle black mean?

It means: run 50 steps and laugh at others for running 100 steps. Metaphor means that you have the same shortcomings or mistakes as others, only to a lesser extent, but you laugh at others.

From Mencius in the Warring States Period (from Mencius Liang Wang Hui), excerpts from the original text:

Mencius said to him, "The king is belligerent. Please use the metaphor of war. Replenish drums, weapons company, abandon armor. Or stop after a hundred steps, or stop after fifty steps. What if the pot is too black? " He said, "No, it's not a hundred steps straight, it's also a walk." He said: "If Wang knows this, there is no hope that there will be more people in neighboring countries.

Translation:

Mencius replied, "Your Majesty likes fighting. Let me use the metaphor of war. Drumming, the two armies go to war, and the defeated throw away their armor and drag their weapons to escape. Some people escape a hundred steps and then stop, while others escape fifty steps and then stop. What if you only run fifty steps and laugh at others for running a hundred steps? "

Liang said, "No way. It's just that I didn't run a hundred steps. This is also an escape. Mencius said, "If you understand this truth, don't expect your own people to be more than your neighbors.

Extended data

Writing background:

During the Warring States period, countries competed for hegemony, and frequent wars led to a large number of population migration and casualties. At that time, there was neither a nationality system nor immigration restrictions, and people were free to find their own paradise.

Which country is more stable, more prosperous and happier, move to that country as the subject. The population of a country is also one of the signs of a country's stability and prosperity. Therefore, all suppliers hope that the population of their country will increase.

Liang is no exception, so Mencius came a long way to be the girder. It was in the process of contact and conversation that Mencius and Liang deepened their understanding, so there was a political question and answer that was told through the ages.

Ideological theme:

The article uses the way of argument to force Liang to undertake his own act of "serving the country", which is only a temporary reaction, not really loving the people, and is not essentially different from neighboring politics.

It is also emphasized in the form of "chain reasoning" that the implementation should start with never violating the farming season, developing production and solving the most basic problem of food and clothing for the people; It is pointed out that the people's material living standards should be gradually improved, and then they should be educated to understand the meaning of "filial piety" to solve the problem of spiritual civilization, so that the people can be connected and the country can prosper.

It expresses Mencius' political ideas of advocating kingly way, advocating rites and music, and opposing hegemony and war, and also embodies Mencius' ingenious argumentation skills and superb argumentation level.

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