集思广益

Pronunciation: jí sī guǎng yì
Literal meaning: Gather thoughts wide benefit

Origin & Usage

Emerging from the Eastern Han Dynasty's governmental practices, this idiom advocates gathering (集) thoughts (思) to broaden (广) benefits (益). It was institutionalized during the Tang Dynasty through the imperial court's practice of soliciting diverse opinions before making major decisions. The phrase gained renewed significance during the Song Dynasty's revival of collective scholarship. Contemporary usage emphasizes the value of collaborative thinking and diverse perspectives in problem-solving, from corporate strategy to public policy development.

Examples

English: "The team brainstormed together to find innovative solutions"

Chinese: 团队集思广益找到创新解决方案

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