Pull seedlings to hasten growth

Mencius travelled from state to state to persuade the feudal lords to practise the doctrine of a benenolent government during the period of the Warring States.

While he was teaching on how to emulate the practice of a benevolent government, he had this story to tell, "A farmer in the State of Song was worried that the seedlings in his farm were not growing fast enough. The farmer pulled them up one by one, thinking that by doing so, he could make them grow faster. The farmer went home and told his family members about it."

After hearing what the farmer said, his son ran to the farm at once. His son saw that the seedlings had begun to wither.

There are people who give up a job the moment they fail to get any immediate benefit expected from it, and thus, resembling farmers who do not weed the rice field after planting the seedlings. Others wanted quick results instead of knowing the realities.

There are many people who do things without due consideration of the proper procedures to be followed. They wanted quick results. In the end, they mess things up.