Chinese idiom – 专心致志 zhuān xīn zhì zhì

In ancient China, during the time of the philosopher Mencius, there was a skilled chess player named Qiu. His skills in the game were exceptional. Qiu had two students, and one of them was extremely focused and dedicated in learning from his teacher. The other student, however, did not possess the same level of concentration. As a result, the student who dedicated himself fully to learning quickly mastered the game, while the other remained unsuccessful.

This story later evolved into the idiom “专心致志” (literally translated as “concentrate the mind and devote oneself to a purpose”), which is used to describe a person who is fully attentive and dedicated to a task or pursuit, giving their utmost focus and effort.