spoil things by rushing; force growth against nature
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesidiom
to pull up seedlings to help them grow (the literal story from Mencius)
literaryRefers to the specific historical anecdote recorded in Mencius (《孟子·公孙丑上》) about a man from the state of Song who pulled his rice seedlings upward to accelerate their growth, only to find them withered.
The allusion of 'pulling up seedlings to help them grow' comes from Mencius, Gongsun Chou I.
The Song man's act of pulling up seedlings to help them grow appeared extremely foolish and ridiculous.
verb
to violate the laws of development by rushing things; to spoil things by excessive enthusiasm
Figurative usage warning against impatience and forcing unnatural progress in education, economic development, or personal growth. Implies that haste makes waste and going against natural rhythms backfires.
Learning a language requires daily accumulation; you cannot rush it by forcing growth.
Parents must never rush things by forcing their children to learn too much.
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This kind of rushed educational approach that forces growth will only stifle children's creativity.
Economic development must follow laws; one must absolutely avoid rushing growth against nature.