📖 Meaning
To carefully choose virtuous and talented individuals and place them in positions where their abilities can be fully utilized. It emphasizes merit-based selection and the importance of matching a person's strengths to their responsibilities. The idiom reflects a core principle of good governance and effective leadership.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Biography of Guo Ziyi' in the 'Old Book of Tang' (《旧唐书·郭子仪传》), a historical record of the Tang Dynasty. The passage is a memorial statement advising the emperor to entrust the selection of worthy and capable officials to the chancellors, while delegating military training and defense to seasoned generals like Guo Ziyi himself. It argued that if the right people were placed in the right roles, the common people would be well-governed, banditry would subside on its own, and the dynasty's restoration could be achieved within mere months. Guo Ziyi (697–781) was one of the Tang Dynasty's most celebrated generals, known for his pivotal role in suppressing the An Lushan Rebellion.
💡 Example Usage
治国之道，在于简贤任能。
The way to govern a nation lies in selecting the worthy and appointing the capable.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 简贤任能
- Pinyin: jiǎn xián rèn néng
- Literal Translation: select worthy, appoint capable
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4