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昔贤多使气

昔賢多使氣
xīxiánduōshǐqì
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 the worthies of old were often given to fits of temper
  2. 2 (fig.) admirable men of the past were strong-willed, not meek
  3. 3 (lit.) former worthies many give-rein-to spirit

Examples

昔贤多使气，现代人未必比得上古人的血性。
Xī xián duō shǐqì, xiàndàirén wèibì bǐ de shàng gǔrén de xuèxìng.
'The worthies of old were given to temper' — moderns may not match the blood-heat of the ancients.
他辩论时直言不讳，颇有昔贤多使气的风范。
Tā biànlùn shí zhíyán bùhuì, pō yǒu xī xián duō shǐqì de fēngfàn.
In debate he speaks without reserve — much in the style of 'the worthies of old were given to temper.'

Tips

history
From the Tang-era frontier tradition; most commonly attributed to 高适 (Gao Shi) in his 《自淇涉黄河途中作》 or similar Tang five-character verse extolling martial spirit: 昔贤多使气，忧国不谋身 (The worthies of old were given to temper — they worried about the state and took no thought for themselves). 使气 = to let one's 气 (spirit / temper) have its way — refusing meekness when principle demands. A staple Tang-Song political-moral idiom.
usage
使气 here is a verb-phrase meaning 'to give vent to strong feeling' — today one says 意气用事 for similar sense, but 使气 in classical prose is positive (manly integrity) not the modern negative 'hot-headed.'

Stroke Order

昔 xī
贤 xián
多 duō
使 shǐ
气 qì