Chinese Idiom: 志大才疏 (Zhi Da Cai Shu)
English Translation: Great ambition but shallow talent
pīn yīn: zhì dà cái shū
Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to someone who has lofty ambitions but lacks the ability to achieve them. It implies a disparity between one’s aspirations and actual capabilities.
Historical Source: The idiom originates from Hou Han Shu (《后汉书》), a historical text by Fan Ye during the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Idiom Story:
孔融 (Kong Rong), courtesy name Wenju, was a prominent figure in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and a descendant of Confucius. Hailing from Lu (modern-day Qufu, Shandong), Kong Rong was known for his literary talents and held various official positions, including that of Beihai Xiang (Governor of Beihai) and later, Jiangsu (an official in charge of palace affairs).
Kong Rong was a staunch advocate for restoring the ancient system of governance and often criticized Cao Cao’s policies. During a period of intense political upheaval, Cao Cao, who was consolidating his power, issued an edict to forgive past slanders against him, but warned that any future criticisms would be dealt with severely. Kong Rong, confident in his own abilities and unafraid of repercussions, continued to oppose Cao Cao, even publishing an article extolling the virtues of wine in defiance of Cao Cao’s prohibition on it.
In 208 AD, Kong Rong went so far as to openly criticize Cao Cao in the presence of a messenger from Sun Quan. Cao Cao, enraged by Kong Rong’s persistent dissent and obstruction of his policies, used these provocations as a pretext to have Kong Rong executed.
The Hou Han Shu commented on Kong Rong’s situation, noting that despite his high ambitions and grand ideas for stabilizing the state, his limited abilities prevented him from achieving any significant success. The text states: “融负其高气,志在靖难,而才疏意广,迄无成功” (Kong Rong, with his lofty aspirations, aimed to stabilize the state, but his shallow talent and limited capabilities led to his failure).
Over time, this commentary was distilled into the idiom “志大才疏,” which highlights the contrast between grand ambitions and insufficient abilities.