Who said "Don't pull on the sprouts to help them grow."?

Mencius (c. 372-289 BC). Source: Mencius 2A2 (公孫丑上).

What is the original Chinese?

助之長者，揠苗者也，非徒無益，而又害之。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Don't pull on the sprouts to help them grow." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

揠苗

Don't pull on the sprouts to help them grow.

Mencius, Mencius 2A2 (公孫丑上)

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What it means

Mencius tells of a farmer who tugged his seedlings upward to speed them along and killed them all. Growth that is forced does more harm than good. Tend the work patiently and let it come up at its own pace.

The source

"Don't pull on the sprouts to help them grow." Mencius said it in Mencius 2A2 (公孫丑上). Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

"助之長者，揠苗者也，非徒無益，而又害之。"

Original Chinese, Mencius 2A2 (公孫丑上). Text read at zh.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Mencius (c. 372-289 BC). The most important Confucian after Confucius himself. He argued that human nature is good and that a ruler's first duty is to the people.

Questions

What does "Don't pull on the sprouts to help them grow." mean?: Mencius tells of a farmer who tugged his seedlings upward to speed them along and killed them all. Growth that is forced does more harm than good. Tend the work patiently and let it come up at its own pace.
Who said "Don't pull on the sprouts to help them grow."?: Mencius (c. 372-289 BC). Source: Mencius 2A2 (公孫丑上).
What is the original Chinese?: 助之長者，揠苗者也，非徒無益，而又害之。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
Is "Don't pull on the sprouts to help them grow." on a shirt?: Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Cite this line

"Don't pull on the sprouts to help them grow." (Mencius, Mencius 2A2 (公孫丑上), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/dont-pull-on-the-sprouts-to-help-them