Hou Sheng Ke Wei

Literal Meaning: A young man should be regarded with respect.

Metaphorical Meaning: It is used to praise a young man with knowledge or skills superior to the older people.

In the Spring and Autumn Period (770 – 476 BC), the famous educator Confucius traveled from states to states to promulgate his own thoughts. One day, he met three kids on the road, two of whom were playing while the third one was standing aside and watching them. Confucius felt strange and asked the third kid why he didn’t join in the other two. The kid replied in a serious tune: “The ardent pillow fight may cause death. The normal pulls and pushes may cause injury. It is also not good to tear other’s clothes. So I would not like to play with them. Is that strange?”

Confucius felt shocked by the little kid’s answer. After a while, this kid built a small castle with earth and sat inside it. He neither get out of the castle nor gave way to Confucius, who can’t help but ask: “Why do you sit inside the castle and get in my way?” The kid replied: “I knew the carriage should take a detour when it met a castle or a city, but I have never heard that a castle should give way to a carriage.” Confucius felt more surprised because such a little kid could give out such smart words. He praised him: “What a great amount of knowledge you have despite your age!” But the children replied calmly: “I heard that the fishes can swim soon after they were born. The rabbits can run in the field in three days after their births. The horses can follow their mothers in three days after their births. These are natural things, not concerning the age.”

After hearing that, Confucius had to say: “Now I know how great the young men are!”