"Yi Mao Bu Ba" literally means being unwilling to pull out even a single hair, describing a person who is extremely stingy and selfish. This idiom comes from "Mencius: Jin Xin I," where Mencius commented on Yang Zhu: "He would not pull out a single hair even if it would benefit the whole world" — that is, Yang Zhu advocated "for oneself," and even if pulling out one hair could benefit the world, he would not do it. Later, it came to satirize those who are extremely miserly and unwilling to give up even the slightest gain. In terms of usage, it is mostly used to criticize individuals who haggle over money and interests, unwilling to share or contribute, and also to describe an indifferent attitude toward public welfare and collective affairs. Its emotional tone is clearly derogatory, carrying mockery and dissatisfaction. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the traditional Chinese admiration for "generosity" and "benevolence," as well as the criticism of "selfishness." It should be noted that this idiom usually refers to being stingy toward others, rather than being frugal with oneself, so it is fundamentally different from "diligence and thrift."
📝 Example
1. He is enormously wealthy, yet he is extremely stingy—he would not even donate a single cent to the disaster area. (Describes extreme stinginess and unwillingness to give.)
2. The company boss is extremely stingy—he does not even provide meal allowances for employees working overtime. (Describes being very miserly toward employees and unwilling to spend even a little extra money.)