A parable

[Nick Nicholas <nicholas@uci.edu>]

(1) "I am thinking," said Confucius, "that I am wise."
.i mi pensi sei la konfucius.* cusku se'u ledu'u mi prije
"Are you wise about strategy? About philosophy? About love? About the ways
of the butterfly?"
Confucius smirked. "Perhaps it is the butterfly. Perhaps strategy. Perhaps
all of these. Perhaps none of these. I have not told you, and it is for you
to divine. It matters naught; I am thinking," said Confucius, "that I am
wise."

*Sorry, I didn't look up the proper Chinese form.

(2) "I am seeking," said Diogenes, "someone wise."
.i mi sisku sei la diogenes. cusku se'u leka ce'u prije
"It is someone wise about strategy you seek? Is it someone wise about
philosophy? Someone wise in the ways of love? Perchance one wise in the
orations of men?"
Diogenes scowled. "I will be happy if you bring me one wise on strategy. If
you bring me one wise in the ways of love, I will be astounded. If you
bring me one wise in rhetoric, I will think you a liar.  But it matters
naught; whatever he claims wisdom in, just bring me that man who truly is
wise."

(3) "Like, I'm thinking," said Surfer Dude, "about like the concept of,
like, being *wise*, man."
.i .iepei mi pensi sei la serferDUD. cusku se'u le si'o .iepei ce'u ba'e
prije ju'i do'u
"Wise about what, dude?"
"Wha?"
"You know. Like, what's your special subject? What will you take on
Jeopardy for $200? Is it, like, strategery? Or, philosophy? Or, like,
babes? Or how to catch, like, a totally tubular wave, dude?"
"Like, what is *wrong* with you, dude? I'm just thinking about the concept,
you know. Like, in the abstract? Philosophical, like. Just... being *wise*,
dude."
"Like, totally."

****

This is an irreverent counterpart to a posting I sent out earlier this
evening (and which I meant much more seriously.) Those of you that have
been following should recognise what I'm referring to, and what I'm
advocating.

(I know the rebuttal to doing things this way, btw, and I think I've
addressed it in that earlier posting.)

Nick Nicholas,  TLG, UCI, USA.   nicholas@uci.edu    www.opoudjis.net
"Most Byzantine historians felt they knew enough to use the optatives
 correctly; some of them were right." --- Harry Turtledove.