January 8, 2018
Two paragraphs and an image from a Wikipedia entry:
“May you live in interesting times” is an English expression purported to be a translation of a traditional Chinese curse. While seemingly a blessing, the expression is always used ironically, with the clear implication that ‘uninteresting times’, of peace and tranquillity, are more life-enhancing than interesting ones, which from historical perspective usually include disorder and conflict.
Despite being so common in English as to be known as “the Chinese curse”, the saying is apocryphal, and no actual Chinese source has ever been produced. The most likely connection to Chinese culture may be deduced from analysis of the late-19th century speeches of Joseph Chamberlain, probably erroneously transmitted and revised through his son Austen Chamberlain.

2 Comments |
advice, art, business, class conflict, conflict, culture, friendship, greed, politics, quotes, relationships, staff meeting, truth-seeker, wisdom | Tagged: business as usual, domestic conflict, greed, history, politics, relationships, Wall Street |
Permalink
Posted by Jim
February 24, 2016
“Every advance in human civilization, from the spread of science and literacy to the abolition of slavery, has had to meet the objection that it violated God-given laws.”
Christopher Hitchens
“Minority Report,” Nation, 3/13/89
Leave a Comment » |
advice, church, conflict, critics, culture, history, life, philosophy, quotes, scams, superstition, surrealism, truth-seeker, wisdom | Tagged: education, family, philosophy, prayer, quotes, relationships, religion, thought, Truth |
Permalink
Posted by Jim
February 10, 2016
“The atheist does not say and cannot prove that there is no deity. He or she says that no persuasive evidence or argument has ever been adduced for the notion. Surely this should place the burden on the faithful, who do after all make very large claims for themselves and their religions.”
Christopher Hitchens
“What We Were Reading: 2006,” Guardian, 12/05/09
Leave a Comment » |
business as usual, conflict, culture, education, essays, life, myths, philosophy, quotes, scams, science, superstition, surrealism, truth-seeker, wisdom, writing | Tagged: atheists, business as usual, church, essays, faith, philosophy, quotes, religions, science, wisdom, writing |
Permalink
Posted by Jim
June 10, 2015
“Individuality is deeply imbued in us from the very start, at the neuronal level . . . We are destined, whether we wish it or not, to a life of particularity and self-development, to make our own individual paths through life.”
Oliver Sacks, 1933 – 2015
On The Move, a Life
Leave a Comment » |
advice, education, essays, human resources, jobs, labor, life, philosophy, quotes, truth-seeker, wisdom, writing | Tagged: development, education, employment, life lesson, quotes, relationships, self-development, writing |
Permalink
Posted by Jim
June 1, 2015
“I think we are born into this world and inherit all the grudges and rivalries and hatreds and sins of the past. But we also inherit the beauty and the joy and goodness of our forebears. And we’re on this planet a pretty short time, so that we cannot remake the world entirely during this little stretch that we have. But I think our decisions matter. At the end of the day, we’re part of a long-running story. We just try to get our paragraph right.”
President Barack Obama
The New Yorker 90th anniversary issue, February 23—March 2, 2015
Leave a Comment » |
advice, C.E.O., class conflict, culture, death, education, executives, family, history, life, philosophy, public service, quotes, truth-seeker, wisdom | Tagged: adivice, C. E. O., class conflict, family, history, Obama, philosophy, portus, quotes, relationships, story telling, writing |
Permalink
Posted by Jim
April 29, 2015
Copyright © 2015 Jim Sizemore.
Leave a Comment » |
advice, business as usual, camping, class conflict, conflict, gag cartoons, gags, hiking, mountaineer, relationships, religion, road trip, sports, travel, truth-seeker, wisdom, wisdom-seeker | Tagged: business, business as usual, gag cartoons, gags, hiking, mountain climbing, mountain man, relationships, seeker, sports, Today's Gag, travel, truth-seeker, wise man |
Permalink
Posted by Jim