📖 Meaning
To take from what is in excess and use it to supplement what is lacking. It is a metaphor for using one's strengths to compensate for one's weaknesses, or redistributing resources from surplus to deficit. The idiom emphasizes balance and mutual complementarity.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the chapter 'Fei Ming' (Against Fatalism) in the Mozi, a philosophical text compiled during the Warring States period. The passage reads: 'In ancient times, Tang was enfeoffed at Bo, cutting long to continue short' (古者汤封于亳，绝长继短). This refers to King Tang, the founding ruler of the Shang dynasty, who governed his territory by taking from areas of surplus and supplementing areas of deficiency. The phrase originally described effective resource management and fair distribution, and was later extended to mean using one's strengths to make up for one's weaknesses.
💡 Example Usage
团队协作重在绝长继短，让每个人发挥所长。
Teamwork lies in cutting the long to supplement the short, letting everyone play to their strengths.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 绝长继短
- Pinyin: jué cháng jì duǎn
- Literal Translation: cut off long, continue short
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4