by S. Jayasankaran
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese – Proverb
When I was in Form 6, a wise old teacher summarised the role of a constitutional monarch into seven words: “The King reigns; he does not rule.”
That’s concise Wisdom101. As is its wont, the English language even has a word for it.
They are called proverbs and they are sometimes considered advice to live by.
Example: If only Fearless Leader aka Jibby had grasped the concept of honesty being the best policy, he might have saved himself, the country, a whole lot of money and trouble.
That’s the problem with having a friend with a degree from Chicago’s Wharton School of Business. Fatboy almost always agreed. Yes, he’d say, it’s generally considered the best policy but…
You have to watch these fellows like hawks. It’s their “buts” that get you every time.
There are some proverbs that are baffling to say the least. There is this old chestnut, for instance: people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Only a moron would throw a stone inside a glass house because that’s the way to rack, ruin and expensive bills. I’ve a better idea: people who live in glass houses shouldn’t!
I’m not sure which genius came up with this obvious proverb but surely it’s the pits. “The way to a man’s stomach is through his mouth.”
Duh.
Maybe it’s an intro to the new Spanish Cooking for Dummies.
The ancient Indian doctors were a cynical lot. What else are we to make of a Hindu proverb that goes: “No physician is really good until he’s killed one or two patients.”
Mark Twain was either a weirdo or a philosopher because he was the one who came up with this: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
I suppose it’s a reflection of the old adage: “It can’t get any worse.”
You have to love the optimism of this old Italian proverb: “Since the house is on fire, let us at least warm ourselves.”
To the inscrutable, and sometimes scrutable, Japanese, everything is Zen and mystic. But some of their proverbs are maddeningly obvious, which make it even more enigmatic. A case in point would be this confounding conundrum: “The reverse side also has a reverse side”.
Here’s the Polish equivalent of “a bad carpenter” – “A man who can’t dance thinks the band is no good.”
I’m not sure which Czech guy came up with this theory but my gut tells me he was an artist and a prince among men: “A fine beer may be judged with only one sip but it’s best to be thoroughly sure”.
When I was still working for a salary, I’d probably agree with this philosophical nostrum: “Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life”.
Jim Fixx was the guy who advocated running as a motto to live by and his hugely popular The Complete Book of Running remained on the best seller lists for a long time. Even so, the man died at a relatively young 52. That must have inspired this cynical American proverb: “Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.”
And if anyone still thinks this century isn’t about information technology, think again. Even the Sermon on the Mount is being rethought.
The latest has this to offer:
The Geek will inherit the earth.
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