little bits of chinese wisdom are everywhere. some sound like wise sayings, others like rubbish. i am sure most have some basis in confucius, taoist, or buddhist teachings, and others are cultural beliefs or practices.
here are three, more to come later.
peaches care for people, apricots harm people, plums kill people. The meaning is eat more peaches.
Big round eyes are pretty eyes, for girls at least. This is a basic belief here and I have run up against it many times. However the other day in class while my teacher was talking about self encouragement, while saying people tell themselves they are pretty, she simultaneously used her fingers to spread her eyelids, thus creating the illusion of a big round eyes. now if you didnt know about the big eye thing, you might have though pretty meant something resembling a little kid making googely eyes.
Out of the same conversation i learned that many chinese, especially older chinese, have self encouragement sayings that they will write and hang of the walls of their house and say to themselves everyday. I immediately thought of those motivation posters, that I think are particular to business minded people. the posters with a photograph of a mountain or a forest. on the bottom is printed a word like "Determination" "It is the size of one's will which determines success." I think most of these posters are a joke, and some of them are.
But my teacher was very serious about this self encouragement phrase. Apparently there are lots of popular ones passed on by important people. I dont have a complete list of these phrases, but things like "hard work can overcome all problems" or "From where there is no hope, find hope" are common. She was also very surprised that I did not have a phrase of my own. 'if i dont have a phrase, what motivates me?' I replied, 'I just am motivated, i didnt know people needed phrases to be motivated. ' Who knows I could just wake up one day with no motivation and need a phrase.
Whats your phrase?
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4 comments:
well now you have a backup plan!
*the demotivating posters are amusing
ever read east of eden?
john steinbeck's interpretation of that Hebrew word "timshel," in Genesis? that supposedly true translation of it into "Thou Mayest" instead of "Thou Shalt" or "Do Thou" for a man overcoming sin -- that then,you are not preordained to overcome sin, nor commanded to. that you choose who you want to be, and you become.
timshel. that's my word, if not my phrase, though I don't know how to pronounce it, and though I am somewhat areligious, though self-and-world-believingly spiritual
http://timshel.org/timshel.php if you haven't read it ('cause I don't do it justice), or if you've forgotten
sincerely,
that person still owing you an e-mail but hoping to make up for some of it by giving you her word and is still perhaps confused with her identity,
lei
My motivational phrase used to be: Live on fire.
But now it is: "Most importantly there was a 2000+year old mummy chinese lady preserved in vinegar." Which is way better.
Sincerely,
Caitlin
"Go out, things happen. Stay at home, they don't"
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