This means that those with a limited perspective cannot comprehend things that are vast or profound. It highlights the relativity of knowledge and the arrogance of small-mindedness when judging greater concepts or realities.
Quote by Zhuangzi: “The little knows nothing of the great.”
The little knows nothing of the great.
Insight
Historical Context
This is from the famous "Joy of Fish" or "Peng Bird" story, which illustrates the relativity of perspective. Zhuangzi used such parables to challenge fixed viewpoints during a time of competing philosophical schools.
About the Author
Chinese Taoist philosopher of the fourth century BCE whose writings form the second major text of Taoism after the Tao Te Ching. Born in the state of Song, he rejected official positions and preferred parable and paradox to systematic argument. The Zhuangzi text, named after him, remains one of the most imaginative works in Chinese literature.
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