The Unholy Family
The following is from the site, 'iconic flux'. ed's thoughts follow.
given by the Chinese.....
Thumb represents your Parents
Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings
Middle finger represents your-Self
Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner
& the Last (Little) finger represents your children
Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the
middle fingers and hold them together - back to back
Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers
and the thumb - tip to tip
(As shown in the figure below):
parents)..., they will open, because your parents
are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have
to leave you sooner or later.
Please join your thumbs as before and separate your
Index fingers (representing siblings)...., they will
also open, because your brothers and sisters will
have their own families and will have to lead their
own separate lives.
Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little
fingers (representing your children)...., they will
open too, because the children also will get married
and settle down on their own some day.
Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to
separate your Ring fingers (representing your
spouse).
You will be surprised to see that you just
CANNOT....., because Husband & Wife have to remain
together all their lives - through thick and thin!!
What a great analogy! No, waaaait a minute….
The Case of the Prosecution
That is an extremely self-absorbed 'explanation' as it contracts the idea of 'the Family' to include only the traditional family. This is to be expected when we consider Chinese history which, to a significant degree, saw the Imperium of China passing on the responsibility for care to the people whilst using the entire populace for self-aggrandizing purposes. Thus, the contraction of the idea of the Family resulted….and such ‘beautiful’ analogies, amongst other coping strategies and perspectives emerged.
Where is 'Humanity' in this scheme of things gentlewomen and men of the jury? Where is the analogous ‘finger’ representing the collective in this scheme of things? This is simply the creation of a theory or analogy to fit a particular cultural practice and perspective borne of politico-economic oppression. But, I suppose, it will appeal to those who aren't amenable to logical and humanitarian/globalist-style thinking. In itself, it appears, on the surface, a ‘beautiful analogy’, but if it is not complemented with other such analogies of equal perspectival and motivational significance that includes the whole of humanity, then it is a ‘bad thing’. ‘Good’ is never ‘good’ unless it takes into account all that must be included in a cultural practice or perspective (all humanity) as opposed to what we’ve been trained to include whilst simultaneously excluding. Evil incubates not in what we do, gentlewomen and men of the jury, but in what we fail to do.
To the author of the above,
My apologies for
coming across quite harsh. I know your intentions are good, and I applaud you
for that. But, a good heart has to be complemented with a sharp mind, or it
will engender more bad than good via a severely contracted understanding and
appreciation of ‘good’. Thus, in this case, the 'beauty' of the above analogy lies in the foundation applied to what is indeed a grossly disfigured countenance.
Comments
However, I think the flaw is more in the tendons of the ring fingers - they aren't that mobile anyway!
Jenyfer
We are all products of a continuing evolution SB. The right perspectives and practices in our todays could very well enhance the flexibility of the said 'tendons' in the future. ;)
Hi P&V,
You start it, i'll sign it P&V.
But perhaps we could also make complement this effort with an attempt to educate the said stupid fingers as well. :)
I cant understand it. Yet. I am going to have to do it with my fingers and re read it a few times to get it.
Although what did jump out at me was this:
I know your intentions are good, and I applaud you for that. But, a good heart has to be complemented with a sharp mind, or it will engender more bad than good via a severely contracted understanding and appreciation of ‘good’.
Now I did undertsand that.
I fully agree and support your statement - 'Evil incubates not in what we do,..., but in what we fail to do' . Very often, most of us focus only on what we have done but in actual fact, it is usually what we have failed to do, that have undesirable consequences.
v
Thank you for considering the alternative view.
Both your extracted quotes indicate that the vantage wherein we are picnic-ing is one and the same although we be far apart.
Thank you for your observations. :)
ed