From the zd_alumni mailing list, I came across this old Chinese saying.
"Water is too clean to foster fish,
person is too smart to have pals."
Most of us knows the first part of the idiom. It is almost the first time that I know the second part of it. I totally agree with it. This idiom conveys a philosophy here that people has to be accommodating, willing to accommodate difference of others. Otherwise, you will be alone in the world.
http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1821648.html?fr=qrl3
4 comments:
It sounds like you have issues you are dealing with? Your previous blogs were to the point and business like (and very informative, thanks).
Want to tell us what's going on?
There was some discussion in zheda alumni list, which provokes people's thought regarding the restriction and regulation of mailing list. That's how this idiom was mentioned.
I think the idiom is too simplistic. Being accomodating is good, but sometimes the differences will only keep causing unhappiness. Thinking you will be alone simply because you are unwilling to accept differences is naive. Look around, you'll be surprised to find how many people share your point of view.
Admittedly, the idiom is simplistic. Maybe I didn't translate the original idiom perfectly. The original idiom emphasized on the "too clear, too smart". We have to admit that everything goes to extreme extent will sometimes result in adverse affect. The philosophy behind gives a traditional wisdom, "be in the middle, not be extreme". I believe most of the Chinese will agree with it. Another interesting and similar idiom is "Hard to be silly".
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