"Haogao wuyuan" (craving for something high and far) refers to unrealistically pursuing excessively high or distant goals. In this idiom, "hao" means to be fond of, "gao" means too high, "wu" means to pursue, and "yuan" means too far. This idiom comes from the "Biography of Cheng Hao" in the History of Song. It was originally used to criticize scholars for being unsteady in their scholarship and for pursuing unrealistic learning. In modern usage, it often describes people who, when setting goals, divorce themselves from their own conditions and objective reality, blindly yearn for an excessively high realm, and yet are unwilling to be down-to-earth. It is mostly used in fields such as study, work, and entrepreneurship, and carries a clearly derogatory connotation, implying criticism of a restless, fantasy-prone, and impractical attitude. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the values of "advancing step by step" and "being down-to-earth" in traditional Chinese culture, and forms a contrast with "one step at a time leaves a footprint." Emotionally, it can be used for others and also for self-mockery, but at its core it reminds people that goals should be realistic and that they should avoid achieving nothing because of craving for something high and far.
📝 Example
1. He has just graduated and is already thinking about becoming the company president—this is somewhat like "reaching for what is beyond one's grasp," aiming too high without a solid footing. (Refers to unrealistically pursuing excessively high goals.)
2. Learning should proceed step by step; one must not "reach for what is beyond one's grasp," or else the foundation will be unstable, and the more one learns, the more difficult it becomes. (Refers to being detached from reality and pursuing something too high and too far.)