From "Xun Bing" by Xun Kuang in the Warring States Period: "If you are a demon, if you throw an egg at a stone, it is called boiling around." Later generations refined the idiom "throw an egg at a stone".
Moral of the idiom: No matter what you do, you should weigh your own abilities and don't act blindly. In the face of a strong opponent, we must know ourselves and ourselves in order to have a chance of winning. When the strength is too great for the enemy, we should take the method of outwitting. As long as you know your own shortcomings and constantly improve yourself, you will defeat your opponent one day.
Idiom story:
Xunzi was a thinker, writer, politician and a representative of Confucianism during the Warring States Period in China, and was honored as "Xun Qing". In his early years, he went to Qi to study abroad. Because of his profound knowledge, he served as a wine sacrifice for Xia Ji Gong Xue of Qi three times.
Later, he was hired by Zhao Haoqi of Qin State to study in Qin State. Later, he went to Zhao again. Later, he was appointed as the Lanling Order by Chun Shen Jun of Chu State. In his later years, he mainly engaged in some education and writing books.
On one occasion, Xunzi and Lin argued endlessly about the use of troops in front of the prince of Zhao. Zhao Haoqi Cheng Xiao asked, "What is the key to using the army?" Lin replied: "You have the right time to go up, go down in the right place, observe the changes and actions of the enemy, and arrive before the enemy sends his troops. This is the key to using soldiers. "
Xunzi said, "That's not true. It is said that the reason why the ancients used troops was because the fundamental purpose of using troops was to unify the people. Bow and arrow are not harmonious, even Hou Yi, who is good at archery, can't hit the target; Six horses are not in Qi Xin, and Zhao Fu, the best driver, can't catch up with it. "
Officials are not close to the people, but attached to the monarch. Even Shang Tang and Zhou Wuwang may not win. Therefore, those who are good at making the people yield are good at fighting. Therefore, the main point of using troops is to make the people attach themselves.
Lin disagreed and said, "That's not the case. What matters in a battle is the situation. Favorable, action should pay attention to cunning and changeable. A man who is good at fighting is mysterious. No one can predict where he will come from. Sun Wu and Wu Qi are invincible in this tactic. Do they have to rely on the obedience of the people? "
Xunzi disagreed with him and said, "No .. I'm talking about the fighting style of benevolent people and the ambition of the emperor who ruled the world." What you value is political strategy and situation. Benevolent people can't be bullied by war. Those who can be dealt with by deception are those who are arrogant and contemptuous, those who are tired and weak, and those who are at odds between the monarch and the minister and between the superiors and subordinates. "
Therefore, it is possible to succeed in dealing with Xia Jie by Xia Jie's deception; Deceiving Yao with deception is like throwing stones with eggs and stirring boiling water with your fingers. It's like throwing yourself into the mire, where you are either burned or drowned.