« Girls don't fart... Duh. | Main | Why aren't there classes on laundry etiquette? »
November 03, 2005
Class Assignment: Find ONE Proverb
In my Political Analysis class one of our homework assignments includes finding a single proverb to write down on a notecard and bring it into class. The other assignments include rewriting a two-page essay, writing another essay and studying for a midterm. Yes, I'm talking about just one of my classes. Anyways, so I really like this homework assignment. I love proverbs. I'm just having difficulty picking just one. Here are a few I've found tonight.
Cast no dirt into the well that gives you water.Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if it kept its mouth shut.
Even children of the same mother look different.
Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles.
Birds can hear the talk in the daytime, rats can hear the talk at night.
If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.
Oh, they're all so good! I may go home tonight and see if I can find something from Chuang Tzu. I post one of my favorite Chuang Tzu stories below.
Chuang Tzu and Hui Tzu were strolling along the dam of the Hao River when Chuang Tzu said, "See how the minnows come out and dart around where they please! That's what fish really enjoy!"Hui Tzu said, "You're not a fish, how do you know what fish enjoy?"
Chuang Tzu said, "You're not I, so how do you know I don't know what fish enjoy?"
Hui Tzu said, "I'm not you, so I certainly don't know what you know. On the other hand, certainly you are not a fish-so that proves that you don't know what fish enjoy!"
Chuang Tzu said, "Let's go back to the original question, please. You asked me how I know what fish enjoy-so you already knew I knew it when you asked the question. I know it by standing here by the Hao."
From: "Chuang Tzu, Basic Writings," translated by Burton Watson, NY:Columbia Univ. Press, (1964), pg 109.
Proverbs can be confusing a first, but if you keep an open mind, they are very visually and mentally stimulating.
Posted by Stacy on November 3, 2005 10:29 PM | Filed In: Undergrad
Comments
Re: Proverbs can be confusing at first, but if you keep an open mind, they are very visually and mentally stimulating.
Supposedly LSD has the same effect... :)
Posted by Ian Ashley at November 3, 2005 10:53 PM
my favorite that you posted is:
If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.
and i agree with the above comment even though i've never done lsd.
Posted by stacee at November 4, 2005 08:05 PM
"A whisper can go around the earth. Old jungle saying"
Phantom proverb for the win.
Posted by Alan at November 6, 2005 12:04 AM
"Only fool, fight man with Brisk." -- Bruce Lee
...and my favorite:
"Revenge is a dish best served cold." -- Ancient Klingon Proverb
Posted by Pete at November 8, 2005 12:36 PM
Rather standard fare, but I always like "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
It just reeks of nobility.
Posted by Baron at November 8, 2005 02:39 PM
Most people in class today had simple things like "You are what you eat" or really complex ones that were (sometimes poorly) translated from various Asian languages.
The best one came from my friend, Shawn. He quoted the wise Yoda. "Do, or do not. There is no try." Nice.
Posted by Stacy at November 8, 2005 03:56 PM
I got my Gravatar!
Posted by Thomas Ng at November 8, 2005 09:32 PM
"zhi si bu wu" - Chinese, from the Tang Dynasty. It means 'Unable to understand until death.' Reminiscent of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
Posted by jail bird at November 10, 2005 02:09 PM
