To have one's feet planted on the ground
To be practical, earnest, and realistic; to do things very steadily and dependably
Positive
Down-to-earth
None
None
《邵氏闻见前录》(Shào Shì Wén Jiàn Qián Lù) by Northern Sòng (北宋, 960 - 1127) poet and scholar 邵雍 (Shào Yōng)
司马光 (Sī Mǎ Guāng) was a politician and historian in the Northern Sòng Dynasty (北宋, 960 - 1127). During the reign of the fifth Sòng emperor, he was ordered to write 《资治通鉴》(Zì Zhì Tōng Jiàn), a work that would become China's first-ever set of comprehensive history annals. 司马光 intensely devoted himself to this assignment for many years, rising before the sun and going to bed long after it set. He expected a lot of himself, and many times, he revised and edited chapters until he was satisfied with them.
Sometime after the completion of the work, 司马光 had argument with another politician, and he left court to reside in the city of 洛阳 (Luò Yáng). While he was there, he often spent time with 邵雍 (Shào Yōng, the author of the work that is the source of this chengyu). Once, he asked 邵雍, "What kind of person do you think I am?" 邵雍 replied, "I think you're a 脚踏实地 person!"