标新立异

Origin and story

In the Literature section of Shishuo Xinyu (世說新語), the monk Zhi Daolin discusses the Free and Easy Wandering chapter of the Zhuangzi at White Horse Temple. Established thinkers had struggled to move beyond the interpretations associated with Guo Xiang and Xiang Xiu. Zhi offers a fresh explanation that impresses his listeners, and the account says his interpretation subsequently gained acceptance.

The source describes presenting a new principle and establishing a different interpretation; the later idiom compresses that wording. It began with intellectual originality, not an incident in the Book of the Later Han. Modern usage can praise innovation or criticize being different merely to attract attention, depending on tone.