More Wisdom through Aphorisms!
Culture 101: Unpacking Sayings.
My last post on aphorisms was popular, so here is another set.
Literal Saying: Dance no come, then yard crooked.
If you can’t dance, blame your surroundings.
Meaning: Similar to ‘a bad workman blames his tools,’ but more general-purpose.
Usage: Cook a meal, have it turn out indifferent, and explain to everyone at home that it is because the ingredients were not right, the vegetables were bad, and the kitchen was too small.
Literal Saying: What do tomorrow, do today; what do today; do now.
Do today what you would do tomorrow; do now what you would do today.
Meaning: Nothing like the present moment to act. This is a famous verse of a well-known poet.
Usage: Reserved for those procrastinators who use excuses to put off doing essential stuff. Generally, a rule followed by everyone born before the internet existed!
Literal Saying: Say ‘Oh so sad,’ live six months less.
People will take advantage of your kindness in ways you don’t expect.
Meaning: If you show sympathy without discretion, some people will exploit your gentle nature, potentially reducing your lifespan.
Usage: Ensure that people do not take undue advantage of your kindness and mistreat you.
Literal Saying: Hiss; don’t bite.
Hiss like a snake does, but don’t bite.
Meaning: Protect your boundaries and well-being without causing harm. Don’t let people take advantage of your goodness. Hiss if you must so that they remain wary of you, but don’t harm anyone.
Based on a parable: A snake lived in a hole near a tree and bit people who came near the tree. The villagers were scared of it. A monk passing by advised the snake to refrain from killing people and to live without harming others. A year passed. When he returned, he saw that the snake was bleeding, and nearly dying. Children were stoning it, fearless. He restored the snake’s health and queried how it had reached this condition. The snake replied it had just followed the monk’s advice and decided to not harm anyone. The monk was taken aback, and exclaimed, “I said don’t kill anyone, but I never said you should not protect yourself by hissing. Hiss, but do not bite.”
Usage: A valuable lesson to kind-hearted individuals to assertively protect their boundaries without compromising their inherent goodness. Similar to Roosevelt’s quote, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” as
points out in the comments!
“Hiss like a snake does, but don’t bite.” — I like it. Thanks :)
Hissing without biting... but you better be ready to bite, for some never really know how not to come too close unless when bitten. Nice selection, Jayshree.