Oh Muse!

You, a relic of pagan world
You, a tradition left behind
You, a path, a cure
You, an entry to gates divine
You, a dying creed
You, a spirit; living or dead
You, a creator, life from the void
You, all things enlight

Today:

Let my words transcend definition
Let my speech transcend purpose
Let my song transcend sound
Let my art transcend inspiration
Let my art be true
Let my song be whole
Let my speech be unhindered
Let my words be clear

Remind me,

Once, a carpenter’s son stood on the Mount
Once, a battlefield heard the Song of God
Once, a ladder to Heaven appeared on the road to Haran
Once, a sick child, an old man, a corpse, and a holy man brought Sight
Once, a transmitter invented nothing
Once, a prophet claimed La Ilaha Illa Allah
Once, a Divine Light was deemed Wonderful Teacher
Once, a messenger believed in the unity of mankind

And the world has been in blissful fervor, ever since.

Dans l’Antiquité, Confucius était appelé le «premier des sages», sa doctrine et ses proverbes ont traversé les époques et les contrées. Érudit de la Chine ancienne et du monde contemporain, Confucius a marqué son temps avec sa philosophie.

Confucius:

• Pinyin :  Kǒng Fūzǐ (ou simplement  Kǒngzǐ)
• Caractères chinois : 孔夫子
• Né en 551 à Qufu (Chine, province du Shandong)
• Son nom chinois, Kong Fuzi ou Kongzi, signifie maître Kong. Ce sont les Jésuites qui lui ont donné un nom latinisé.

Bien qu’il n’ait jamais prétendu inventer mais seulement se baser sur les sagesses anciennes, Confucius a pour beaucoup d’experts été à l’origine de l’humanisme chinois. Si un culte lui a été voué après sa mort, il ne s’est jamais considéré comme fondateur d’une nouvelle religion.

Le saviez vous ?

Les instituts Confucius sont des centres d’enseignement de la langue officielle chinoise, le mandarin (pǔ tōng huà 普通话), et de diffusion de la culture chinoise. Créés par le gouvernement chinois, ils s’en ouvrent régulièrement dans les pays entretenant des relations diplomatiques avec la Chine.

La vie d’un homme sage

Né en 551 avant J. C., Kong Fu Zi, de son nom latin Confucius, avait une vie studieuse. Son amour pour les livres classiques, la musique, l’écriture, le calcul, la conduite, l’histoire, la poésie ainsi que la maîtrise des rites, le propulsait vers une existence d’études et de réflexions. Lorsqu’il avait trois ans, son père, gouverneur de la province du Lu, mourut le laissant lui et sa famille sans ressources.

Malgré cette absence, Confucius acquit une éducation de haut niveau. Alors âgé de 24 ans, Confucius se maria et devint père d’un garçon et de deux filles. Pour nourrir sa famille, il exécuta des tâches subalternes pour le chef de la province. En 527 avant J. C., la mère de Confucius décéda, après une longue période de deuil, il allait enseigner à ces disciples ses connaissances des textes anciens.

Sa vie dans la sphère politique

Progressant dans la hiérarchie, il devint vers la quarantaine, ministre de la justice, ce qui lui a permis de faire part de sa sagesse et de ses réflexions au plus grand nombre. Ce statut allait le faire voyager dans le pays entier : à Wei, Cao, Song, Chen, et d’autres lieux de Chine. Le simple employé administratif qu’il était, prenait de l’importance avec l’âge. Après avoir fait signer un traité de paix entre Ji Huanxi et les pays du Qi, Confucius devint premier ministre à 50 ans auprès de Ji Huanxi, qui se laissera corrompre, incitant ainsi le sage Kongzi à démissionner.

La naissance d’une philosophie

Son exil l’a conduit à errer durant quatorze années, accompagné de ses disciples les plus fidèles. Il enseignait alors ses connaissances des textes anciens et sa vision de la société et de la politique dans les principautés de Chine. A cette époque, le territoire était marqué par des luttes de pouvoirs entre les différents seigneurs. Afin de retrouver la stabilité, Kong Zi prônait la restauration du Mandat Céleste à un Empereur vertueux qui ferait régner l’ordre.

De retour à Qufu, ses disciples ont mis par écrit les enseignements de Confucius dans le but de les diffuser. Ceux-ci n’ont rien d’une religion au sens occidental du terme, car ils placent l’homme au centre de tout questionnement, et n’évoque pas le monde des esprits ni la mort.

Humaniste, Confucius pensait que la nature de l’homme était bonne. Selon lui, les hommes de pouvoir devaient être vertueux et respectueux des rites et de l’ordre social. Le souverain devait créer harmonie entre les êtres humains et leur environnement. Son enseignement était plus théorique que pratique. Axé sur la morale, l’éthique et la vertu ou encore la sincérité, il présentait un art de vivre visant l’harmonie des relations humaines, l’homme n’étant pas voué à vivre avec les bêtes.

Ainsi, l’étude des textes traditionnels était fortement conseillée. Jusqu’à la Révolution Culturelle de Mao Zedong, Kongzi est le symbole de l’éducateur parfait : il ne cherche pas à s’ériger en maître à penser mais plutôt à développer l’esprit critique et la réflexion de ses disciples.

Autre changement révolutionnaire dû au maître Kong : la notion de «junzi» (君子), comparable au mot anglais «gentleman», qui évoquait avant lui la noblesse de sang, et prend avec Confucius le sens de noblesse de coeur. Ainsi, même s’il était avant tout destiné aux hommes hauts placés et voués à exercer le pouvoir, l’enseignement d’origine de Kongzi s’adressait à tous, le plus pauvre paysan pouvant théoriquement prouver ses mérites.

Le Confucianisme devient une religion d’état de la dynastie Han (206 avant JC à 220 après JC) sous le règne de Han Wudi jusqu’à la proclamation de la République de Chine en 1912 par Pu Yi, dernier empereur de Chine.

Les recueils sur son enseignement

Confucius n’a pas écrit les ouvrages qu’on lui attribue mais ses disciples les ont rédigé après l’avoir écouté durant de nombreuses années. Il y a quatre livres : la Grande Étude (大學 Dà Xué), l’Invariable Milieu (中庸 Zhōng Yóng), les Entretiens de Confucius (論語 Lùn Yǔ), et le Mencius (孟子 Mèng Zǐ). Les Entretiens semblent être la meilleure source encore aujourd’hui pour comprendre l’enseignement de Kongzi dans sa forme originelle. En effet, dans cet ouvrage, le Maître débat des problèmes de son époque avec ses disciples.

Confucius se basait principalement sur l’étude des grands classiques chinois, le Canon des Poèmes, le Canon de l’Histoire (書經 Shū Jīng), le Livre des Mutations (易經 Yì Jīng), le Livre des Rites (禮記 Lǐ Jì) et les Annales des Printemps et des Automnes (春秋 Chūn Qiū, aussi appelé 麟經 Lín Jīng). Sixième grand classique, le Canon de la Musique (Yuejing, 樂經,en caractères simplifiés乐经) a quant à lui été perdu aujourd’hui.

Confucius posthume

Mort à l’âge de 72 ans, Confucius est une figure emblématique de la civilisation chinoise. C’est pour cette raison que le corps de Confucius repose à Qufu dans la nécropole du clan appelé «forêt de Confucius». Cette nécropole est un véritable palais construit au 16ème siècle regroupant d’anciennes calligraphies, œuvres d‘art, vêtements et de nombreuses archives.

De nombreux philosophes, principalement en Chine mais aussi dans tout l’Extrême Orient, ont poursuivi le travail de Confucius. Ce qui a donné naissance à la doctrine confucianiste, choisie comme philosophie d’État sous la dynastie Han. Mencius (ou Mengzi) et Xun Zi sont les deux plus célèbres penseurs ayant développé la philosophie de Kongzi. Par la suite, il faut également citer Zhu Xi, qui fût à l’origine du néo-confucianisme sous la dynastie Song.

S’il n’est pas le seul grand philosophe qu’ait porté la Chine, Confucius reste néanmoins celui qui a le plus profondément marqué la société chinoise. Son enseignement, même s’il n’est plus religion d’État, reste l’une des bases des règles d’éthiques dans l’Empire du milieu.

Today’s presentation twip on Twitter, from me was:

Confucius said “I here I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand” get your audience doing something.

Let me elaborate on this quick twip.

I HEAR  – I FORGET

If all you do in a presentation is stand and talk at a group of people, the will hear what you say but then most of them will quickly forget it.  If you don’t believe my, think about all the presentations you have heard, how many do you actually remember everything that was said?  How many do you remember some of what was said? And how many have you completely forgotten? 

I’m willing to bet that the majority are in the last category.

I SEE – I REMEMBER

Now, why do people use powerpoint when the give a presentation?  Okay, there are all the wrong reasons for using PowerPoint, like to remind the speaker what to say, because everyone else does, because that’s what they always do etc etc.,  but the good reason for using visual aids is that, if used properly, the will help the audience to remember what is is you have been talking about.

Tests have shown that people remember more when they see it as well as hear it.

I DO – I UNDERSTAND

However, if you really want people to understand what you are talking about you have to make them do it. You have to get then mentally if not physically involved in the process.

It is like driving to a new location. The first time you go somewhere you probably need to get the map out to find out where it is and how to get there, but having driven it once you can then go back there without having to refer to the map.

Now if you were just a passenger on the first trip to the location, and then you have to drive yourself the next time, you probably will not remember exactly where it is and how to get there and have to resort back to the map or satnav. That is because as a passenger you just heard and saw things, but you didn’t do it and as such you don’t understand exactly where you went.

So to make a presentation work you can’t just talk at you audience, you need to make them think. Ask them questions, make them list things down on paper, get them to put their hands up, compare feelings with the person next to them or get them to imagine a particular scenario.

This last suggestion is why storytelling is such a powerful presentation technique. By telling a story your audience can associate with, it takes them to a different environment or situation in their head. The more realistic you make the story the easier it is to suck your audience in to that story. So use as many of their senses as you can in relating the story, what they would see, what it feels like, what it tastes like or smells like.

Don’t let your audience be passengers in your presentations, make them particpants.

Dear Confucius,

I truly admire wisdom coming from your philosophy. My favourite sayings of yours made me think lately about relativeness of everything,  circumstances in which a unique, individual human nature can be placed and changing the sense and meaning of your words when applying these  factors (relativeness, circumstances, uniquness of an individual) altogether on a case from real life…

“I hear and I forget. I see and and I remember. I do and I understand” – you said. True, I admit. It is very wise and applicable in many cases indeed.

However, when thinking about something that c0nsumes about half of my life, heart, brain and everything else thats left – my love – it starts looking quite different.

I heard things that I will never forget. Even though I have no headphones on, I hear it very loud and clear, everyday.

I saw things and I will never forget them. I have my eyes wide open for observing the world (and us in it) from many perspectives. I am sure I can remember still googols of things to come.

I have done a lot of good and positive things for my relationship, I have  done a lot of bad things to my relationship, too. I do understand the consequences. I deal with it every day now..

I do things for my relationship and I not always  understand where it is all going to.. things don’t go as planned. Action causes reaction, but when this is unpredictable, what then?

I hope, Confucius, that at least you understand my concerns. I hope you understand why I am so confused on this one.. Please elaborate.

I am looking forward to hearing  back from you soon, Confucius. My life and happiness depend on it.. Make me rethink these issues and let me come to some reasonable conclusions – this is what I think I need.

In either case, you’re the champ. Let me know please.

Kind regards,

Piotr Finkielsztajn

yeah.. right. This letter has been written several months ago, but naturally it never got sent thus I never got any answer back. I wonder what kind of advice I could get these days from a Chinese b.c.e. thinker, with I guess different perception of women, love and relationship Confucius, thanks for your efforts, I will work it out myself

How do you spell Obama in Chinese? Depends who you are. The Chinese news media spell it 奥巴马 (àobāmǎ). But the US Embassy in Beijing recently launched a campaign to change it to 欧巴马 (ōubāmǎ). Why no agreement? The embassy says its spelling is closer to the American pronunciation of Obama. But the Chinese don’t appear to like how it sounds, or reads. For one thing, the Taiwanese already transliterate Obama the American way. Beijing likes to keep its scriptural distance from Taipei. More here and here.

Next on the podcast, the contrasting oratorical styles of presidents Hu and Obama. The two leaders draw on starkly different rhetorical traditions, and they may also have somewhat different audiences when they step up to a podium. There are personal differences too, mainly concerning charisma: Obama oozes it;  Hu doesn’t go in for oozing much of anything.  Some young Chinese have noticed.  Like their Japanese counterparts, they’re learning English by reciting famous Obama speeches.

Then, something on a type of Chinese idiom known as chengyu, as explained by the late James Lilley, former U.S. ambassador to China. Lilley says Chinese diplomats loved to hide behind these sayings. He recalls how he once turned the tables on them by coming up with an enigmatic saying of his own.

After that we travel to the UK, where Confucian philosophy has infused Chinese language classes in five public schools. It’s almost inevitable that when you learn a language, you learn about the culture of the people who speak that language. (Believe it or not, it helps.) But this new approach in Britain goes a step further: the schools draw on Confucian teaching methods. The idea is that students will learn more through thinking and enjoying a subject than they might through memorization.

And then, a grand finale:  poet and writer Marilyn Chin on why she loves the expression chop suey. It’s all in the onomatopoeia. More about the origin of the dish here and the song here (it’s a high point in the musical Flower Drum Song.) Much more, by the way, from Marilyn Chin next week, including a discussion of the role language plays in her new novel.

Listen in iTunes or here.

The next person you meet could become your best friend.

Behave toward everyone as if receiving a great guest. ~ CONFUCIUS

J’ignore à l’heure où j’écris qui sera désigné ce soir pour présider aux destinées de notre chère Europe. Mais il est un choix qui semblerait, à l’Européenne que je suis,  des plus judicieux : celui de Vaira Vike-Freiberga. Elle est prête, dit-elle, à assumer cette tâche et pour ma part, je la crois.

Elle me semble en effet présenter, au regard du Savoir, de la Vision et de  la Sagesse nécessaires  à tout véritable  “Homme” d’Etat, toutes les qualités nécessaires.

Il me suffit sans doute, car c’est à lui qu’en premier lieu je pense, d’évoquer le Maître Confucius et son 4ème analècte : “« À quinze ans, ma volonté était tendue vers l’étude ; à trente ans, je m’y perfectionnais ; à quarante ans, je n’éprouvais plus d’incertitudes ; à cinquante ans, je connaissais le décret céleste ; à soixante ans, je comprenais, sans avoir besoin d’y réfléchir, tout ce que mon oreille entendait ; à soixante-dix ans, en suivant les désirs de mon cœur, je ne transgressais aucune règle. »

Que mes lecteurs ne voient dans ce choix aucune forme de féminisme, j’ignore ou ne veux pas savoir ce que cela signifie. Vaira Vike, à l’instar de toutes les autres d’autres femmes représente tout simplement, et cela est en soi suffisant, l’Autre moitié du Ciel, suivant la culture chinoise que nul aujourd’hui ne devrait prétendre ignorer.

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest” – Confucius

So true. Can still taste the bitterness in my mouth.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  

CONFUCIUS

Il en est des bibliothèques comme des hommes. Elles ne se donnent rarement qu’au prix d’un effort initial, d’un pas vers elles. Il faut se transgresser, se transformer pour parvenir à les connaître pleinement. Montaigne passa toute sa vie dans les allées de la sienne, s’y retirant même vers la fin, renonçant au commerce des hommes pour celui des livres. On se prend à rêver à cette « bibliothèque de Babel » dont notre essayiste préféré avait pris soin de recouvrir les murs, les solives, les travées, d’inscription lues ici et là, de maximes tirées pour l’essentiel – on aurait aimé qu’il s’agît de César ou de Sénèque – de la Bible. Parmi ces inscriptions, toutes propices à éveiller cette rêverie de chaque instant qui guette le bibliophile solitaire, une, tirée de L’Ecclésiaste me semble mériter qu’on s’y arrête :

NE PLVS SAPIAS QVAM NECESSE EST NE OBSTVPESCAS

Gravés sur la vingtième travée de la solive centrale, ces mots sont traduits par Alain Legros : « Ne sois pas plus sage que nécessaire, tu deviendrais stupide » (Les Essais, édition de La Pléiade, 2007). La phrase est habile, avec ce rien de rhétorique qui la rend parfaitement séduisante et d’emblée juste.

Il faudrait pourtant s’y pencher un instant. « Plus que nécessaire », nous dit-on ? Mais quand la sagesse cesse-t-elle d’être une nécessité ? En est-elle jamais une, au demeurant ? Que Montaigne ait décidé de graver cette phrase, parmi d’autres, sur les poutres de sa bibliothèque, est en soi significatif. C’est une phrase avec laquelle il vit, censée lui rappeler à chaque instant sa vérité. C’est aussi une phrase qui met en avant, à mon sens, trois idées fondamentales et centrales à la philosophie des Essais :

1/ Une critique de la vanité – celle de qui s’impose comme « sage » (la citation, ne l’oublions pas, est extraite de L’Ecclésiaste, lequel commence justement par : « Vanité des vanités, tout est vanité »).

2/ Une critique des excès en général et de tout ce qui s’éloignerait de la mesure et du « juste milieu » aristotélicien.

3/ Une critique fondamentale de la notion même de « sagesse » que Montaigne ne cesse de réfuter (voir par exemple « De l’experience », III, 13)

La modération est une des valeurs centrales de la philosophie de Montaigne. Il y a consacré un essai (« De la moderation », I, 29) dans lequel on peut lire : « ceux qui disent qu’il n’y a jamais d’excès en la vertu, d’autant que ce n’est plus vertu, si l’excès y est, se jouent des paroles ». Ne sois pas plus vertueux que nécessaire, pourrait aussi bien dire le philosophe bordelais. Cette haine des excès, qui fait de Montaigne un auteur si attachant, on pourrait l’expliquer ainsi : lorsque l’homme s’écarte de la mesure, qu’il ne jure plus que par une notion (fût-ce une notion aussi noble que la sagesse ou la vertu), il n’existe plus pour lui-même mais pour cette notion, pour ce concept. Il s’extraie donc de sa propre humanité. En bon humaniste, Montaigne ne peut que bannir cette idée. L’homme doit rester homme, en acceptant ses imperfections, ses failles, ses faiblesses. Il ne doit pour aucun prix disparaître dans le langage, dans le conceptuel.

Montaigne réfute donc l’idée de sagesse en ce qu’elle est une notion trop rigide, un concept éculé accordant trop peu de place à l’humain. « On pourroit tenir pour sage en telle condition de sagesse, que je tien pour sottise », écrit-il par ailleurs (« Sur des Vers de Virgile », III, 5). La sagesse n’est jamais statique. Elle n’existe, au fond, pas. Tout au moins pas en tant que concept figé. C’est une réalité qui varie, en fonction des hommes, des jugements. Elle fluctue selon chacun, s’accorde aux instants – elle est en perpétuel devenir, en perpétuel changement.

S’appeler « sage », c’est ne pas accepter ce changement, ne pas accepter sa propre humanité ; c’est « se jouer des paroles », être pris au vieux piège du langage.

La notion de sagesse, que Montaigne remet en question ici – dans le cœur même de sa bibliothèque, lieu de culture par excellence, séparant en cela les « têtes bien faites » des « têtes bien pleines » – est une de ces idées qui, traversant les lieux et les époques, ont conditionné l’humanité et notre façon de penser l’humain. Ainsi, quelques 1500 ans avant Montaigne, en Chine, Confucius faisait prise au même débat.

On sait l’importance de la notion de “changement”, de “mutation” dans la culture chinoise. C’est l’idée fondatrice du Yi Jing, grand classique dont la légende rapporte qu’il a été lu, médité, corrigé par Confucius. Et il y a, chez le philosophe chinois, la même attention que chez Montaigne accordée à la culture. Quand notre philosophe ne cessait de lire et de citer, en vrac, Sénèque, Platon, Lucrèce ou Plutarque – ces « sages » d’une Antiquité bien présente –, le maître chinois se référait à Yao, Shun, Yu le Grand ou Cheng Tang (maîtres à penser de la haute Antiquité chinoise, tous cités dans les Entretiens, ayant vécu entre le XXII^e et le XVI^e siècle avant Jésus-Christ).

L’étude (xue) tient en effet une place fondamentale dans la philosophie de Confucius. C’est en lisant, en apprenant, en récitant (notamment le Shijing, le Livre des Odes), que l’homme devient un junzi (notion complexe de la philosophie confucéenne que l’on pourrait traduire par « homme de bien », « homme juste »).

Apprendre, chez Confucius comme chez Montaigne, c’est donc apprendre à devenir un homme. Le junzi est un homme ayant appris son humanité. Tout comme le « sage », chez Montaigne, est un homme qui refuse de se considérer comme tel, un homme qui accepte ses failles et ses défauts – son humanité. L’idée de ren (humanité) est bien l’idée centrale de la philosophie confucéenne.

Car pour Confucius également, la sagesse ne saurait être uniquement livresque. Comme Montaigne, il se méfie des mots et du langage. Ne déclare-t-il pas, dans le Kong-tze Kia-yü, que ”parler trop ruine la sagesse” (X, trad. Ch. de Harlez) ? Il faut apprendre auprès d’un maître (lequel maître devra changer son enseignement en fonction de la personnalité de son disciple, adapter à chacun ce qu’il a à apprendre), c’est-à-dire apprendre dans le dialogue, dans le rapport à l’autre, dans une parole qui ne soit pas figée.

« L’homme de peu s’enferme dans le sectaire » déclare encore Confucius (Entretiens, II, 14, trad. Anne Cheng). On retrouve quelque peu l’idée de Montaigne exposée plus haut : la voie vers la sagesse est parsemée d’embûches, parmi lesquelles la plus dangereuse est incontestablement de se laisser piéger par le concept, par le langage, par le sectaire. La pensée doit vivre, battre au rythme de l’humain. La sagesse doit naviguer d’un homme à l’autre, changer d’un homme à l’autre, accepter les différences, les particularités de chacun. On ne saurait donc la conceptualiser. La culture, si elle est importante (par la connaissance des auteurs antiques et des sages anciens) ne doit jamais se résumer à elle-même : elle doit être appliquée dans la vie, vécue au cœur même de notre humanité. Ce que Montaigne cherche chez Caton, ou Confucius chez Yu, c’est plus un exemple, un mode de vie, une façon d’exister qu’une simple référence culturelle. La culture livresque doit ouvrir sur la vie, sur l’ici, le maintenant.

On a vu que Montaigne refusait de se considérer comme « sage ». De la même façon, Confucius déclare : « Atteindre le ren ou, à plus forte raison, la sagesse suprême, je ne saurais y prétendre » (Entretiens, VII, 32).

Atteindre le ren, atteindre l’humain. Voilà l’objectif de notre existence sur terre selon ces deux philosophes. Voilà la voie.

Si l’on revient sur notre citation initiale et sur ces termes problématiques, « ne sois pas plus sage que nécessaire », on peut à présent proposer une réponse : le savoir est nécessaire tant qu’il est vécu. Tant que la lecture – de Sénèque, des Odes chinoises – nous apporte quelque chose, bouleverse notre rapport au monde et à nous-mêmes, nous entraîne vers plus d’humanité. Nous rapproche du centre, pour reprendre des termes chers aux philosophes taoïstes, et nous mène à l’intériorité de notre condition.

Ce n’est qu’à ce prix – au prix de ce refus, de cet abandon – que l’homme atteint la sagesse.

Confucius once scribbled

I saw some piglets suckling their dead mother. After a short while they shuddered and went away. They had sensed that she could no longer see them and that she wasn’t like them any more. What they loved in their mother wasn’t her body, but whatever it was that made her body live.

Now read it out loud, in the voice of Loyd Grossman, whilst watching this youtube clip:

All we have left is a shell.

Today I was asked what my favourite quote or saying is and I found myself scratching my head. If you had asked me this question a year ago then I would have been quick to respond that I didn’t hold much stock by quotes, but on my coaching learning journey there have been some quotes that have resonated with me.

I wanted to settle on a short quote that linked to learning and not having time to trawl through all my books I decided to search the internet.

I chose

"Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Let me do and I understand." Confucius

It is still not quite right, but now that I am on the lookout for my favourite quote, I am sure it will present itself to me sooner or later.

However I did Google "Let me do and I understand" and came across an interesting perspective on classroom based learning in a 3 minute video by John Abbott here. John says at the end that the approach he describes is an "absolute challenge to the pedagogy that is currently used in schools." but I do not agree. High quality teachers understand the importance of encouraging their students to learn on the job and although this practice is not universal, it is certainly far from being an absolute challenge for all.

I do know that the majority of adults I have trained learn more ‘on the job‘ than in a training room and that teachers who apply the same awareness to their own personal learning and self development benefit greatly.

Let us get away from accepting training that consists of information delivered by a voice at the front of the room and instead spend training budgets on learning that:

1. Aligns with the strategic goals of a school
2. Recognises and supports the personal goals of the individuals who work so hard within a school
3. Actively seeks to embed long-term learning throughout the school

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

- Confucius

N.B. Confucius (551 – 479 B.C.E.) was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher, whose teachings and philosophy have deeply influenced Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese thought and life.

I’ve read many personal narratives from Chinese students that follow this story line: My friend or mother or grandfather kept pestering me for attention, but I dodged her or his tedious kindnesses until she or he departed or cried or died. Now I regret neglecting my beloved friend or mother or grandfather.

Students invariably go on [in case the reader hasn’t gotten the point], “From this I’ve realized we should never take friends or relatives for granted but instead appreciate our time together.”

Students also supply lessons in their book reports, “From Charlotte’s friendship with Wilber, I’ve learned we should treasure friends, for they will always be with you until the very end.” [Students always use the word “always” or “never” in their instructions to the hapless reader].

The pattern is so widespread that I gather it’s instilled in Chinese students from the first day of preschool. Confucius said the twin pillars of education should be moral instruction and imparting knowledge. His pillars were not, in fact, twins, for Confucius also taught that moral instruction should have priority. To be culturally sensitive, I should to learn to accept and eventually appreciate the form. Instead, I’ve grown increasingly impatient with appeals to virtue.

Of course, the quest for such lessons isn’t unique to Confucianism. Consider Aesop’s Fables, The Berenstain Bears, The Book of Virtues, and Chicken Soups for the Soul. Organizations like Character Counts and the Alliance for Character Education bring moral instruction to billboards and classrooms across the America. And, of course, every church, chapel, synagogue and mosque is in the business.

I confess to spending many happy hours with my fine adolescent legs draped over the arm of a chintz easy chair in Grandmother Newkirk’s sitting room reading stacks of Guideposts Magazine. But now my jaw tightens as soon as I sense the baseball bat coming at my head. Have I changed? Has my moral compass gone haywire?

Looking for bearings, I recall book club meetings I’ve attended over the years. Rather than criticize themselves, my friends critique the behavior of characters and the choices of the author. The book club pronounces the story well developed and believable – or not. Members turn to dog eared pages and read aloud sentences chosen for giving insight into a character, a culture, or human nature. A fine example of the book club approach is a discussion of The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt here in a podcast from Double X and Slate Magazine.

I think it’s fair to say that book club discussions illustrate an outlook fundamentally different from the outlook of the students in my care. One asks, “What should we be doing better?” The other asks, “Why does the character behave as he does? Are his choices consistent with his character and milieu? What insights does the story offer? Does the author realize her ambitions?”

I’ve marshaled several reasons to object to students’ moral instruction. First, of course, is distaste for the underlying assumption that we’re not OK.

I try to teach critical thinking. According to Bloom’s taxonomy, the acts of thinking from bottom to top are remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and finally creating. At best, moralizing only reaches the third level. As done by my students, moralizing often falls off step two, understanding. They substitute bromides for brainwork.

Students seem to think, find the lesson and I’m done.

Because their job is to find a lesson in every text, students assume all texts serve the purpose of character education. Tom Clancy, Tom Wolfe, and Thomas Jefferson are all writers, therefore all qualified to point out the students’ character flaws. Tom Sawyer and Tom Swift are on the page, therefore on par as models.
Moralizing divides the world neatly into wrong and right, black and white. Students find ambiguity frightening and flee grey areas. Fleeing complexity, they shelter under glittering generalities. Still popular are ancient virtues itemized by Confucius: respect, diligence, loyalty, fidelity. Modern merits include patriotism, solidarity, and college diplomas.

From a student essay urging readers to employ “soft power” (whatever that is), here’s a sample of glittering generalities in action:

In the new era of history, Guangdong should attach more importance to the cultural construction, take advantage of the abundant resources, and motivate creative power. With a worldwide perspective, Guangdong is on the way to build up a harmonious cultural atmosphere and promote soft cultural power to a higher level.

Considered as the spiritual impetus, intellectual support and mental guarantee of the development of modern society, soft cultural power is increasingly becoming a crucial source of regional cohesion and creation. Moreover, the core of soft cultural power is intended to cultivate people’s temperament, entertain their body and heart, shape their spirit and thereby fulfill the freely all-round development of human beings.
What more could one want?

Do you know this quote?  Never heard of it?  Oh, that’s because I just said it the other day while chatting on my cellphone with my dear friend A.  As I spent an afternoon getting to know racks of fine brocade and country tweeds, the vintage shopkeeper overheard me and asked if she could quote it.  ”Of course!” I said smiling, secretly pleased she thought my random statement was noteworthy.  If you happen to use it, do mention that you co-opted it from the Love Collage. 

Here we are in the crush of early November, a funny period where the energy of summer wanes and we find ourselves slowly fading into hibernation mode. We often contemplate ourselves, our life, our time. “How did the year pass so quickly? I meant to start this and accomplish that.” But when we evaluate the status of all our good intentions, only some have materialized while others remain talk and no action. 

Whenever I find myself succumbing to bouts of lethargy, I look for quotes that will surge my inspiration and energy.  At times, I hang these on postcards around my bedroom as love notes to self or I write them in my journal to remember.  Here are some of my favourite:

• “When there’s nothing left to burn, you must set yourself on fire.”  – I love this quote from the beginning of The Stars’ song, Your Ex-Lover is Dead.  While the quote is up for interpretation, I like to believe it means when you have exhausted every avenue, the only thing left to ignite is yourself and your passion.  A kind of visual metaphor of being lit with passion. 
• “There is not one big cosmic meaning for all, there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.”  – French erotic literary legend Anais Nin documented her life via her journals.  Her quotes are among the most beautifully written, thought-provoking and sentimental I have ever read. Insert sigh.

Portrait of Anais Nin in lovely Spanish dress. Loving the head dress and lace.

• “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” Confucius so simple, so eloquent.  Many of his quotes juxtapose light and dark.  They are short and sweet, easy to remember.  And it’s true, your heart never lies.

Existentialist philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre speak to the idea of authenticity

“If it is still in your mind, it is worth taking the risk” ~ Confucius

This is the definition of living authentically.  Thus, I am deeming it the I slogan of TEXTure. My blog is about texturizing a more authentic world and I think every action we take can be based on this quote. Why is this quote the definition of living authentically?

Let’s break it down.

“If it is still in YOUR MIND, it is worth taking the risk”: Your mind is the origin of authenticity. After all, authenticity is a degree to which you are true to your self, rather than conforming to external values. Authenticity starts with you.

“If it is still in your mind, it is worth taking the RISK”: I mean, why is it a risk in the first place? Because it doesn’t fit with society? Because you might fail? But, why is failing bad? Because others will look down on you? Because you will look down on you? Remember, only you can allow yourself to feel bad about failing. Failing, believe it or not, can be beneficial. Failing can produce a sense of accomplishment in that you were courageous enough to test the limits. Failing can teach you and bring about knowledge on what to improve upon next time around. Don’t be afraid to fail. Always allow yourself to be wrong. You will never learn anything if you live in a world of comfort.

Achieve Authenticity: “If it is still in your mind, it is worth taking the risk” Confucius

“A gentleman can withstand hardships; it is only the small man who, when submitted to them, is swept off his feet.”

-Confucius-

There is a truism in my life that I see, unfortunately, in action frequently. It is the old “do as I say, not as I do” and it’s largely unattractive paternal twin “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” Yes, we called our parents on it, and as time goes on, I get why, through it all, “doing always the right thing” and “acting smarter than the other guy” doesn’t mean we don’t have to face certain realities, learn from repeated mistakes and wallow in the stymied pool of universal poop pools. Where am I going with this?

I think of the advice i have given my daughter over the years. It starts with the stuff that has to do with taking care of one’s physical being like “don’t drink too much, eat too much or sleep too much.”  Then what do we do? All of the above. Yet some times, we don’t drink enough, eat enough  or sleep enough. Why, because in our own drive to create a vision of perfection for our children, we miss the point: we are all human beings. We have needs, wants, desires and failings. We have good days, we have bad days. We make right decisions, we make wrong decisions. We are faced with difficulties and remember why we cashed in the 401k  last time when we swore to our kids up and down it was the dumbest thing ever to do.

We can say to ourselves, always have X amount somewhere for emergency, but how often do we have it.

Never miss an oil change? Please.

So maybe the most important thing i can teach my daughter, my wonderful blessing of a child who has become an adult, is one of forgiveness. One must learn to forgive ones self, as well as others who let them down. I am sorry if I tried to create a perfect person for you to love as your daddy. But I am not sorry for trying to be that person who sees no limits, for being that person who is not afraid to have his heart-broken, for being that person who is not afraid to step out on the ledge not to come crashing down but to see a glorious view, just so he could share the story with you and any other little wide-eyed young uns he is blessed with along the way.

I can only show you the man I am, one with failings and flaws yet resiliency and tenacity. one who cries at times but mostly laughs. One who speaks, and speaks and speaks…. but I swear this is true – loves to listen to you and the loved ones in his life. And also loves to make friends of the strangers he meets and hear their stories, too…

We know these days may leave scars but need not be wounds always. Times are tough, anger inciting and faith-halting some days.  Yet I have some places to turn, and am grateful. I love my parents for trying their best to always tell me the truth lies in your own action, your own answers, and they always moved forward in an effort to improve our lives and always, always listening. I miss them, I miss the family that is not here and the family I don’t have yet, mostly because i think that no matter how big or small that is what matters most. I cherish what all of you have given me… ears to occasionally slow my mouth, eyes to guide my heart…. and senses to know what and where I am for the long run, even if “who” is an ongoing, constant exploration of challenges. True loved ones, friends and family cherish the knowledge of who we are as it is and not was nor what it may be. They/we say let us all sit here and laugh together, hug and share cocoa over  the “google spittle” of our lives and forgive us, rather laugh with us, over the small “doh”s that have scraped us.

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. George Bernard Shaw

the above quotes from the Quotations Page

Yes we can! Your political affiliations notwithstanding, you gotta love the Obama story. Just a few years ago, the man who would eventually become President was struggling to pay his bills – hell, he didn’t pay off his student loans until he was well into his 40s. What an uplifting story.

Last night I saw the HBO Original Documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama. In an age where the American dream is more elusive than ever, the Obama presidency reminds us that although the American dream is wounded, it’s still alive and kicking.

One part that stuck out to me was Campaign Manager, David Plouffe’s pep talk to volunteers. He reminded them how far the campaign had come because of their commitment and devotion. He praised them for taking a candidate cloaked in the shadows of obscurity and turning him into a fierce competitor in the final stages of the Presidential race.

David Plouffe’s words remind us that we all start at nothing, but we eventually become something. Whatever we want to become, we can get there if our minds let us. First we have to let our minds let us. The beginning of a long journey toward success may seem daunting, but consider the journey already started, for Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu once said, “Even the longest journey must begin where you stand.”

So whatever it is you’re planning – however you plan on taking over the world, your journey has already begun … and you needn’t worry about how quickly you get there. Just remember this Confucius quote: “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”

It’s pretty disappointing when some of the people who are supposed to be closest to you are actually the ones who support you the least.  Today I expressed my misery to a couple people about how unhappy I am with a certain (temporary) aspect of my life.  The reaction I got wasn’t “…then do what makes you happy” or “…keep following your dreams”.

Instead, I was basically told that even if I find my dream job, the happiness is only a honeymoon period and that every single job I ever have will always be just a job, and I’ll be miserable no matter where I work.

Child please.

I tried explaining that if you do something you love and enjoy, you will take the good with the bad because the pros will outweigh the cons.  And then I was shouted at with, “How the f*@# would you know?!  You’re only twenty-…!”  (Yes, shouted at.  As if my positive outlook was like pointing a loaded gun in the face of negativity.)

I know the glamour of a dream job isn’t attained without dirty work.  And I know this because the things I’ve accomplished so far and am most proud of came with endless hours of work, pressures, deadlines, and some repetitiveness (not to mention a little stress too).  I know I don’t have children yet, so I have the luxury of doing things for myself right now.  I know there are people in the world who truly love their job and that happiness does exist in this world.  I know you’re responsible for who you are: you choose your attitude.

The people who achieve their dreams are the ones who don’t quit and don’t stop believing (no Journey).  The people who don’t achieve them are the opposite and use situational circumstances as an excuse.  Granted there are things in life that may get thrown at you that make it harder and seem damn near impossible, but it doesn’t make it over.  If you still want it, you can still get it.  If you don’t get it, don’t try to convince others that they won’t either.

I read somewhere that four out of five Americans are unsatisfied with their job/career.  The reason they tolerate the sufferance: money.  Cutting the cost of particular lifestyles for a job that provides more emotional and mental satisfaction for less money might not sound appealing, but it could be worth it.  Instead, most people opt to spend a third of their life doing something that is possibly meaningless to them so they can bring in the cash and buy things that they think will make them happy.

Even Kanye said it before “We buy a lot of clothes but we don’t really need ‘em / Things we buy to cover up what’s inside / ‘Cause they made us hate ourself and love they wealth…”

I’m young and I may be naive, but I refuse to let anyone try to sh*t on my plans just because they’re negatively realistic.  From the video I posted in my previous entry, Confucius says, “He who says he can and he who says he can’t are both usually right.”

And if you want to tell me otherwise, I suggest you get back to work or you can “Kiss da baby!”

I Can – Nas

It is said that China will be the leader of the world in the 21st century. Apart from economic strength, China will also contribute four other key values to the world, namely; family, harmony, assimilation with innovation as well as efficiency.

Westerners must find out the importance of family in Chinese culture if they really want to understand Chinese culture. The Chinese have regard for the old and love for the young; three generations live in one big family; Chinese also lay great importance to child’s education, and have clear definitions of what role husband and wife should play in family; they treat their country as family. It can be easily found that family relations in China are deep-rooted, and responsibility for family is firmly handed down for generations.

Westerners often find out that Chinese frequently mention the idea of harmony: calligraphers emphasize harmony; the practice of Tai Chi calls for harmony; leaders put forward the idea of harmony … The Chinese language embodies the meaning of harmony, stressing the harmony between people. The traditional Chinese outlook of the world calls on people to avoid extremes, which explains the Chinese philosophy of being mediocre.

China’s development also brings the world the concept of harmony in the 21st century. The body and mind need harmony, so do all creatures in nature; a country needs internal harmony, so do international relations. Harmony brings fundamental principles to the world: peaceful co-existence, seeking harmony while reserving differences.

Confucius said, “If you don’t like something, don’t force it on others.” Mencius also stressed that man needed to continuously examine himself, live in his own way, love himself and others, following which men would find happiness. Another great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said in Tao Te Ching that heaven and earth were complementary, and the dissemination of sound also needs harmony.

Traditional Chinese culture also emphasizes the importance of learning from others, such as advanced science and technology, European drama and so on. Since reform and opening up, China has pushed forward peaceful development through absorbing advanced foreign sci-tech and culture.

A professor with University of Chicago in the U.S. said he would find new changes every time he visited China. Many construction and expressway projects could be completed ahead of time, such as Olympic venues, and he also recalled the grand opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games. The Chinese government promised a yearly GDP increase of eight percent at the beginning of 2009, and now, the target will be safely fulfilled.

bron: english.people.com.cn