Proverb of "Prussian Blue"

 In modern society, this idea encourages innovation and change, believing that continuous progress is the key to driving society forward. 

The proverb "Prussian blue is deeper than royal blue" comes from the Ancient philosopher Xunzi's "Encouragement to Study." The original meaning is that although the color Prussian blue is extracted from blue, its color is deeper than royal blue. 

This metaphor is widely used to describe students challenging their teachers, or today's generations learn and becoming more progressive than their predecessors, and making higher achievements. 

In a wider cultural and social context, this proverb is also often used to allude to "today is better than the past"; that is, the current achievements have surpassed the past. It emphasizes that the new generation can reach a higher level of insight through learning and hard work on the basis of inheriting the Ancient wisdom and cultural quintessence. 

The other metaphorical saying: "Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves." It was used to describe progressive things replacing outdated things.  It reminds people of all ages need to keep learning and improving to adapt to the changes of the times.

The new generation grows up under the impetus of the old generation and challenges the old sayings or common beliefs, and it is sometimes used to describe the patterns of social competition.  It is usually used in the field of education to praise students for arguing with their teachers or to encourage the younger generation to leverage critical thinking skills for problem-solving. It emphasizes the positive significance of the new generation challenging the conventional wisdom of the previous generation through learning and deep understanding

Xunzi used a lot of metaphors to vividly illustrate his philosophical thoughts and educational concepts, articulating the huge impact of the environment on people and emphasizing the importance of cultivating a great culture. Through these vivid metaphors, Xunzi successfully transformed the abstract philosophical ideas into concrete and tangible images, enhancing the persuasiveness and appeal of philosophical arguments. 

The proverb and metaphors emphasize the idea of progress and development, believing that new ideas, technologies, and unconventional methods can bring better results as time goes by and society changes. In modern society, these metaphorical sayings encourage innovation and change, believing that continuous progress is the key to driving society forward. 

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