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It's a proverb? From ancient China? If you want to go full on "take a proverb completely literally" planting a tree in January (in the northern hemisphere, far
by neltnerb 7y ago
It's a proverb? From ancient China? If you want to go full on "take a proverb completely literally" planting a tree in January (in the northern hemisphere, far enough north) is probably a poor decision. I think the author assumes the reader isn't a computer.
- Kinrany 7y agoI'm not sure I understand. I agree that it's a proverb, and I'm not taking it to literally mean tree planting. (I do think it means literally "now", but "now" is vague and depends on context.)
- neltnerb 7y agoSorry for not being clearer. I think the author intended "now" to be vague and dependent on context, and that the flexibility of such terms is part of what gives proverbs longevity. It's assumed the reader can infer the general meaning and adapt it to their situation. Plus it's poetic and succinct which makes it easier to remember. Consider the list of proverbs on this page from Aesop's Fables: http://aesop.magde.info/ http://aesop.magde.info/ Arguing about whether the unknown ancient author should have said "when optimal" rather than "now" does not improve the ability of the reader to understand the underlying meaning -- that if something should have been started long ago, urgency is appropriate and dwelling on the past is counterproductive.