In Danish there's an expression, "at gå i for små sko", "to wear too-small shoes". It means being petty. (To be frank it may not be in very common use these days, I haven't heard it for decades.
Petty:
2.
of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.; minor: petty considerations.
3.
having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc.: petty minds.
4.
mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things: a petty person.
I think one of the best purposes in life is to develop oneself towards the opposite of being petty. Towards having larger and larger horizons, and being more and more gentle and inclusive in life. It's far from an easy road, but highly worthwhile.
------
Slightly related: I remembered an old Danish comic strip: one guy was saying: "I'm against whaling, and I'm against war, and I'm against plastic, and I'm against globalization, and I'm against racism, and I'm against capitalism!"
The other guy answers: "Well, that's very positive!"
That's the thing, innit? Personally I think that while it can be necessary to be against one thing or another, I think one has a richer life if one concentrates the core purpose of one's life around something constructive.
This is a good reminder. It can also a challenge, when the world around seems to get crazier and ruder all the time. Giving in to that isn't going to make it better, though, is it?
ReplyDeleteI remembered an old Danish comic strip: one guy was saying: "I'm against whaling, and I'm against war, and I'm against plastic, and I'm against globalization, and I'm against racism, and I'm against capitalism!"
ReplyDeleteThe other guy answers: "Well, that's very positive!"
Yes, it is more constructive to be for something rather than against. For example, instead of the above, you could be for the well-being of whales, for peace, for natural materials, for local community, for racism and for capitalism.
Well said, Esri and TTL.
ReplyDeleteA guy talked about how he used to be in anti-racism walk back in the flower power days, but he grew tired of the amount of Hate which was displayed there.
In French, "being in one's small shoes" means being highly embarrassed about a situation that involves you. Like, for instance, your step-parents visit impromptu when you just took your Viagra after a romantic dinner and were getting ready for "your special evening", and then you feel that the blue pill starts kicking in while the wifey's dress is clearly unzipped from behind...
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of an old ad in a comic book, about a series I never read, "Mister No".
They called him so because he always said "No" to injustice, "No" to bullying, "No" to oppression, "No" to those who would plunder his beloved Amazonian jungle (etc.)...
But "YES!" to Adventure!
"for racism and for capitalism."
Uh... TTL? I think that's pushing the "positive" attitude a bit overboard, no? ;-)
How about "for tolerance and for social justice", doesn't that sound better?
"but he grew tired of the amount of Hate which was displayed there"
Exactly like in Lebanese politics. You have all these highly vocal self-proclaimed noble patriots and former warlords... I mean "war heroes", but their sole concern seems to be in opposing "the others, these traitors and false patriots, plotting against our Party's noble projects and therefore against the good of the nation".
The result: permanent bickering pettiness. ):-P
I think Israel doesn't bomb us more often because we're so busy with hair-pulling and shin kicking, we're mostly too taken to BECOME a threat to "the Zionist Enemy"!
Still, it HAS been 4 years. Like the Olympics! I think we'll get to enjoy some hi-tech American-made fireworks this summer. More on my blog when all Ragnarok breaks loose. Not in its small shoes, but with its big boots, more likely.
Note to self: stack some interesting reading material in the shelter. Oh, and candles! Let's see... what else? Some cat litter for the feline, board games, my latest jigsaw puzzles, roasted nuts, the small TV, the videogame console and games, the DVD collection that I'm way behind with...
Dang! Where did I put my vintage checklist from the late Eighties?
Oh, and my laptop for blogging, "live from 6 feet under"! That one's new. There WAS no internet during the (semi-civil) war.