CONFUSION

Confucius, the most important Eastern philosopher lived from 551 to 479 BC. At around the same time that the Greeks were debating ethics, morality, politics and nature Confucius was doing the same thing with ‘Analects’. Democracy, it will come as a surprise to many, was not entirely a Greek or Western invention. The Chinese were talking about the rights of the people many years before although of course it was never exercised.


With his version of ‘The Golden Rule’ Confucius said:

“What one does not wish for oneself, one ought not to do to anyone else; what one recognizes as desirable for oneself, one ought to be willing to grant to others"

The blending of negative, positive, active and passive language in this statement was a problem for contemporary and later scholars and they were addled by it.

While not wanting to appear dim by not understanding it and other utterances by Confucius they would nod sagely and agree. As time went on and Confucius’ reputation grew the largely incomprehensible anecdotes and statements were known as Confucius’ Idioms which in time was shortened to Confucions and later, in translations to Confusions.

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I get confused sometimes.

This morning, when making coffee I put the milk in the frother and then put it in the coffee cupboard rather than the microwave. When the coffee in the cafetiere on the stove was ready I went to get the heated milk to discover that it wasn’t in the microwave. Now to be fair, when I put the milk in the cupboard I didn’t press imaginary buttons to activate it but, it’s a worry ……….

I have been known to go into a room to get something and when there wonder why I was there………

Most of all I’m confused as to why most of New Zealand voters have chosen to elect a buffoon like Shonkey to represent our country. In his latest stupidity he’s forgotten which side of the fence he was on during the time of the 1981 Springbok tour. To paraphrase Confucius:

“What one wishes for oneself, one ought not to do for anyone else; what one recognizes as desirable for oneself, one ought to be unwilling to grant to others.”