6 ms·

I actually have found comfort in my personal life from thinking about that little passage where the panda frets, "Maybe I should just quit and go back to making

by firasd 5y ago

I actually have found comfort in my personal life from thinking about that little passage where the panda frets, "Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles", and the guru responds, "Quit, don't quit. Noodles, don't noodles. You are too concerned about what was and what will be." Sometimes you just need to stop thinking so much and get through the day. There is a similar point from Marcus Aurelius where he says (in this old timey translation): "Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them... having with thee the same reason which now thou usest." PS. Another example of unexpectedly good writing is when the student-turned-bad-guy bitterly says, "What I ever did, I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Shifu", and then after a pause Shifu replies with genuine agreement: "I have always been proud of you... And it was my pride that blinded me... too much to see what you were becoming."

pdimitar 5y ago
> Sometimes you just need to stop thinking so much and get through the day. I can be moved by this philosophy all the way to tears and crying (and it did happen in the past). However, the even more tragic part is that it doesn't exactly apply in today's world where most people are bound to their jobs. If they don't "worry" about the future and quit and try to do something else that doesn't work out... well... rent / mortgage installment is still due in two weeks. I really LOVE the philosophy you cited. I just can't see how it's applicable to today's world. The system is specifically made to keep us as hamsters on wheels.
- firasd 5y ago
  Yeah I think mindfulness is not about ignoring your problems. It's more about not letting your mind wander unnecessarily. I think this is our gift and curse as humans--we can plan for the future and reminisce on the past, which enables great achievements, but tied up with this kind of 'time traveling' thinking are emotions like anxiety, sadness, disappointment. So if we could somehow just be efficient calculating machines we wouldn't need this philosophy. (Although lately I've been realizing that if we were just cold calculating machines maybe we wouldn't have complex drives and passions, so probably emotions are not just an extraneous 'curse', and are part of why we do what we do.)
  - moviewise 5y ago
    > Yeah I think mindfulness is not about ignoring your problems. It's more about not letting your mind wander unnecessarily. Learning to focus is one of the hidden lessons in "Kung Fu Panda." Po's journey allows him to finally reveal to his father his true passion because he learns to focus on his own destiny rather than letting the pressures of the larger society, as represented by his father's expectations, control him.
- Swizec 5y ago
  Worrying about what will be in 3 years doesn’t help you pay the rent now. Thinking about what was 3 years ago definitely does nothing for your rent now. If the rent is due and there’s no money, what can you do now to fix that? What action can you take, right now, that gets you closer to paying rent? All the worrying in the world does nothing to fix the situation. Yes have a long-term plan, follow a strategy, even make time in the day/week/quarter to realign and think about that stuff. But when shit hits the fan, only doing something right now gets you closer to a solution.
  - pdimitar 5y ago
    Yeah, that I like much more. Being able to fix the problems now while doing some minimal planning seems to be a better strategy if we're optimizing for mental health (and we really should).
- vaidhy 5y ago
  There is a different way to think about this - The problem is the worrying, not that you can live on air or universe juice. Even Buddha needs food, water and shelter. The problem as you correctly put is that people worry, but that does not lead to a solution. There is really no point in worrying - if you cannot change something, why worry about it? If you can change it, why worry? You might have to think deeply about how to change it and act on it, but just worrying is like praying - it gives an semblance of action without actually doing anything. The hamster, the wheel and the cage are illusions. We choose certain things as more important to us than others. You can always quit and walk out, but a lot of times we prioritize our comfort, an (illusory) stable earnings etc. over freedom.
  - brightball 5y ago
    “Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” - Van Wilder
  - UncleOxidant 5y ago
    > people worry, but that does not lead to a solution. Jesus said, "who of you by worrying can add one moment to their lifespan?" (or in another saying "...add one inch to their stature?")
  - lapitopi 5y ago
    I'm currently reading Thich Nhat Hanh's Peace Is Every Step [0]. In it he says something similar. It's not that worrying is not useful. You need to worry for sustenance, shelter. But a lot of thinking that we as modern humans do is useless. Me going over over on why I didn't get that job, or why did my colleague say or ..., you get the idea. Mindfulness can help with this a bit where if you find yourself caught in a useless thought loop, you can step back and try to figure out if you do have agency, if not, just move on. [0] https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Every-Step-Mindfulness-Everyday/dp/0553351397 https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Every-Step-Mindfulness-Everyday...
  - spc476 5y ago
    My three rules of worrying: 1. Can I do something about it right now? If so, do it, and stop worrying. 2. Can I do something about it later? If so, wait til later, do it, and stop worrying. 3. There is nothing I can do. If so, there's nothing to worry about because I can't do anything about it.
- UncleOxidant 5y ago
  > However, the even more tragic part is that it doesn't exactly apply in today's world where most people are bound to their jobs. I'm not sure it's really all that different now than it has ever been. Sure, it's not like people were always and everywhere working for some other entity in what we'd tend to recognize as a "job", but there has always been a struggle. The struggle in the past was to be able to grow enough food to last the winter to stave off starvation.
- barrenko 5y ago
  You'll be okay without a job, money, maybe even housing and food.
- UnpossibleJim 5y ago
  We are more mobile today than at any point in history, to be honest (at least in western European style cultures... for a large portion of the world, this statement might hold true, but to a much lesser degree, if at all). Indentures servitude has been abolished to a large degree (this can be argued, but this is argumentative on the basis of predatory and college loans) and slavery has been outlawed (again, this can be argued than prison labor is a form of slave labor in states like California when used to fight wildfires, but I'm not sure how much water those arguments hold). Conscripted military service is gone in America and a lot of European countries (though several have mandatory service requirements). Job mobility and the ability to save money is, while not easier than any point in history on a point by point history basis (the 60's and 80's, I believe were easier... check my math, I might be wrong, there may have been others), on a macro scale of history - comparing medieval, renaissance or previous Europe and Russian and Chinese wealth distribution, mobility and freedoms of self - rent/mortgage may be due, but you can still break your agreement, sell your house (there may be a penalty), quit your job and be a homeless ascetic if you want. There are dozens of YouTube channels on VanLife you can watch people doing it... not for me, but you can do it. You can join an abbey (though, I think you could have always done this... I'm not sure about this). You can leave the system and jump off the wheel, you just have to jump off the wheel and stop getting what the wheel gives you.
  - wahnfrieden 5y ago
    We have less freedom of movement at will and ability to disobey orders than at many long stretches of civilization, at least according to anthro and archaeology research covered in Graeber’s last/new book
  - AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago
    I hope you don't mind, but I've reformatted your comment so that I could read it more easily and thought others would benefit as well: We are more mobile today than at any point in history, to be honest[0]. Indentures servitude has been abolished to a large degree[1] and slavery has been outlawed[2]. Conscripted military service is gone in America and a lot of European countries[3]. Job mobility and the ability to save money is, while not easier than any point in history on a point by point history basis[4], on a macro scale of history - comparing medieval, renaissance or previous Europe and Russian and Chinese wealth distribution, mobility and freedoms of self - rent/mortgage may be due, but you can still break your agreement, sell your house[5], quit your job and be a homeless ascetic if you want. There are dozens of YouTube channels on VanLife you can watch people doing it... not for me, but you can do it. You can join an abbey[6]. You can leave the system and jump off the wheel, you just have to jump off the wheel and stop getting what the wheel gives you. [0] at least in western European style cultures... for a large portion of the world, this statement might hold true, but to a much lesser degree, if at all [1] this can be argued, but this is argumentative on the basis of predatory and college loans [2] again, this can be argued than prison labor is a form of slave labor in states like California when used to fight wildfires, but I'm not sure how much water those arguments hold [3] though several have mandatory service requirements [4] the 60's and 80's, I believe were easier... check my math, I might be wrong, there may have been others [5] there may be a penalty [6] though, I think you could have always done this... I'm not sure about this
- jimbokun 5y ago
  The entire premise of the website where we're discussing this topic, was to create a culture of equipping programmers to escape the hamster wheel of employment by starting their own businesses. No, it's not easy. But there's also the early retirement people, who spend little and save aggressively to escape the hamster wheel. And there is also the mentality of not letting the thing you do to pay the rent or mortgage define you. Put in your 8 hours, but don't let it consume you outside of those hours. You don't have to spend your whole life in the noodle shop. There are other ways to live.
  - the_common_man 5y ago
    > The entire premise of the website where we're discussing this topic, was to create a culture of equipping programmers to escape the hamster wheel of employment by starting their own businesses. This seems like a minority these days. Most people are just chasing the house ownership hamster wheel.
tinco 5y ago
I think it's not specifically thinking that you should stop doing, but worrying. "Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles" is not a phrase he says while thinking, he says it while sulking. Part of living in the moment, is taking the time to reflect on your feelings and your dreams and judge them against the path that you are on. Just don't cross the line and fall over into the pool, make sure that once you've thought your thoughts you do the things you want and/or need to do to continue on your path. There is another Oogway quote that can be taken in a similar wrong way. He says "There is just news. There is no good or bad". Immediately after Shifu tells the news and Oogway hilariously responds "that is bad news". He seems to be contradicting himself, but I think the lesson should be taken from his demeanor, not from his literal words. Shifu is clearly distressed about the news, but Oogway takes it calmly. Not worrying, but carefully considering. Such a great movie :)
- galaxyLogic 5y ago
  I think Incredible String Band sums it up nicely in their song Job's Tears: "Happy man, the happy man Doing the best he can, the best he can " Surprisingly deep wisdom from such young artists, I think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd5yq76q51c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd5yq76q51c
- auto 5y ago
  > Oogway hilariously responds "that is bad news" Ahh, but don't forget, there's a small pause before Oogway continues "...if you do not believe that the Dragon Warrior can stop him" Admittedly, I only know this because my oldest daughter is obsessed with Kung Fu Panda at the moment and we watch it daily.
  - tinco 5y ago
    Ah I forgot about that, I have only watched it twice as an adult with no children ;)
sorokod 5y ago
You could have a look at what Eckhart Tolle had to say on the subject and take it from there. "Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the now the primary focus of your life." Bear in mind that Kung Fu Panda is to philosophy is what Kung Fu Panda is to martial arts.
hutzlibu 5y ago
The past is history, future a mystery. Present is reality, that's what we are. (Rainbow song)
Melatonic 5y ago
I think the other meaning of the quote is not to avoid planning or only live in the moment or that day but to just pick something and go for it. Do it well - be excellent. You can worry about what was and what will be but at the end of the day we are all masters of our own narrative journey.
- Loughla 5y ago
  I don't think that's an 'other' meaning as much as a natural extension. It's not about planning or not planning. It's not about being a master of your own journey. It's about being able to identify what you can and what you cannot control, focusing on the can control and just letting the rest occur. This is something I struggle with. I see things, constantly, that are just rage inducing in terms of how stupid they are and how the problems they cause impact my life negatively. And I can't do anything about them. Yet I still spend time being negative, anxious, or otherwise focusing on them. It doesn't help, the problems still happen, and I spent time ruminating about them.
  - spiddy 5y ago
    This reminds me my father when I mentioned bad news he always referred to a saying; no need to worry, things you can't control you can do nothing about them, and why worry about things you can control. I think the frustration often arise when we create the illusion of control and unexpected events shatter that idea, bringing ourselves in denial. A good measure is to keep a buffer for unexpected events and prepare yourself sentimentally.
- moviewise 5y ago
  > just pick something and go for it. Do it well - be excellent. It's funny that another Jack Black movie, "The School of Rock" (2003), has a similar message: Do what you love because you love it. Even if you are not very good at it, you can find a way to fit it into your life. https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/the-school-of-rock/ https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/the-school-of-roc... Another movie that shows this lesson is the 2013 documentary "Salinger": Be driven by making your work great, not by the reactions of others. https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/salinger/ https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/salinger/ Which is influenced by Hinduism, "you should do your work as perfectly as you possibly can with no thought of rewards, and only that way can you be a really happy person.”
ga2arch 5y ago
"What happened in Monte Carlo happened, what happened in Barcelona happened and what happened in Madrid happened, so here we are we are in Rome" - Rafa Nadal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIkp6n53g2w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIkp6n53g2w "if if if, it doesn't exists" - Rafa Nadal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T6S9Kbh69Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T6S9Kbh69Y "I can lose, he can beat me, but i can't give up" - Rafa Nadal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L8bnASLDwA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L8bnASLDwA
ecyrb 5y ago
The Beowülf song "today is a gift" sampled the "noodles" exchange, which prompted me to watch the KFP movies.
unsupp0rted 5y ago
I've always been curious why we translate old passages into "thou"s and "let not"s. This might be why modern people feel so disconnected from past people, even though we're basically identical. I connect a lot better with: > "Forget the future. When and if it comes, you’ll have the same resources to draw on—the same logos" (from Gregory Hayes translation, if I'm not mistaken) https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255 https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Au...
- waynesonfire 5y ago
  What a terrible translation. it's not true at all. Same resoucres in the futute? Unlikely. Nothing provides such guarantee. The original quote with thou and thees that you're curious about instead speaks to the intrinsic motivations being available when the future arrives not resources. So there is your answer? Meaning is lost in translation so best to stay as true to the original message as possible.
  - unsupp0rted 5y ago
    How would you translate the original quote into modern English? Surely any major human language can accurately capture a translation from any other major human language, even if it requires more words than the original to convey the meaning.
    - dTal 5y ago
      The translation I've always heard is: "Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."
- Netcob 5y ago
  I agree - I think a case could be made for translating older versions of a language into the latest one, but especially if it's already a translation from a completely different language. What's news to me is that people in the present are translating old non-English texts into some older form of English - is that true?
sharadov 5y ago
Reminded me on this great answer by Eric Weinstein on Quora https://www.quora.com/In-Kung-Fu-Panda-how-does-Po-end-up-developing-the-capability-to-be-an-awesome-Kung-Fu-fighter-How-does-he-shift-from-being-a-total-fat-slob-to-becoming-capable-of-defeating-Tai-Lung https://www.quora.com/In-Kung-Fu-Panda-how-does-Po-end-up-de...
agumonkey 5y ago
I have this viscous view on things that the future is 1% change daily. You can't really plan anything in an organic social system where everything is coupled to everything. You push a bit and see, push a bit more.
2-718-281-828 5y ago
> "Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them... having with thee the same reason which now thou usest." That's what Marcus said? Or rather a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery old and dusty translation of what he said?
moviewise 5y ago
> I actually have found comfort in my personal life from thinking about that little passage... This idea of finding comfort or guidance in movies is exactly how I feel, and it is what motivates me to catalogue the life lessons found in movies on "moviewise."

by firasd 5y ago

pdimitar 5y ago

> Sometimes you just need to stop thinking so much and get through the day. I can be moved by this philosophy all the way to tears and crying (and it did happen in the past). However, the even more tragic part is that it doesn't exactly apply in today's world where most people are bound to their jobs. If they don't "worry" about the future and quit and try to do something else that doesn't work out... well... rent / mortgage installment is still due in two weeks. I really LOVE the philosophy you cited. I just can't see how it's applicable to today's world. The system is specifically made to keep us as hamsters on wheels.

firasd 5y ago
Yeah I think mindfulness is not about ignoring your problems. It's more about not letting your mind wander unnecessarily. I think this is our gift and curse as humans--we can plan for the future and reminisce on the past, which enables great achievements, but tied up with this kind of 'time traveling' thinking are emotions like anxiety, sadness, disappointment. So if we could somehow just be efficient calculating machines we wouldn't need this philosophy. (Although lately I've been realizing that if we were just cold calculating machines maybe we wouldn't have complex drives and passions, so probably emotions are not just an extraneous 'curse', and are part of why we do what we do.)
- moviewise 5y ago
  > Yeah I think mindfulness is not about ignoring your problems. It's more about not letting your mind wander unnecessarily. Learning to focus is one of the hidden lessons in "Kung Fu Panda." Po's journey allows him to finally reveal to his father his true passion because he learns to focus on his own destiny rather than letting the pressures of the larger society, as represented by his father's expectations, control him.
Swizec 5y ago
Worrying about what will be in 3 years doesn’t help you pay the rent now. Thinking about what was 3 years ago definitely does nothing for your rent now. If the rent is due and there’s no money, what can you do now to fix that? What action can you take, right now, that gets you closer to paying rent? All the worrying in the world does nothing to fix the situation. Yes have a long-term plan, follow a strategy, even make time in the day/week/quarter to realign and think about that stuff. But when shit hits the fan, only doing something right now gets you closer to a solution.
- pdimitar 5y ago
  Yeah, that I like much more. Being able to fix the problems now while doing some minimal planning seems to be a better strategy if we're optimizing for mental health (and we really should).
vaidhy 5y ago
There is a different way to think about this - The problem is the worrying, not that you can live on air or universe juice. Even Buddha needs food, water and shelter. The problem as you correctly put is that people worry, but that does not lead to a solution. There is really no point in worrying - if you cannot change something, why worry about it? If you can change it, why worry? You might have to think deeply about how to change it and act on it, but just worrying is like praying - it gives an semblance of action without actually doing anything. The hamster, the wheel and the cage are illusions. We choose certain things as more important to us than others. You can always quit and walk out, but a lot of times we prioritize our comfort, an (illusory) stable earnings etc. over freedom.
- brightball 5y ago
  “Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” - Van Wilder
- UncleOxidant 5y ago
  > people worry, but that does not lead to a solution. Jesus said, "who of you by worrying can add one moment to their lifespan?" (or in another saying "...add one inch to their stature?")
- lapitopi 5y ago
  I'm currently reading Thich Nhat Hanh's Peace Is Every Step [0]. In it he says something similar. It's not that worrying is not useful. You need to worry for sustenance, shelter. But a lot of thinking that we as modern humans do is useless. Me going over over on why I didn't get that job, or why did my colleague say or ..., you get the idea. Mindfulness can help with this a bit where if you find yourself caught in a useless thought loop, you can step back and try to figure out if you do have agency, if not, just move on. [0] https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Every-Step-Mindfulness-Everyday/dp/0553351397 https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Every-Step-Mindfulness-Everyday...
- spc476 5y ago
  My three rules of worrying: 1. Can I do something about it right now? If so, do it, and stop worrying. 2. Can I do something about it later? If so, wait til later, do it, and stop worrying. 3. There is nothing I can do. If so, there's nothing to worry about because I can't do anything about it.
UncleOxidant 5y ago
> However, the even more tragic part is that it doesn't exactly apply in today's world where most people are bound to their jobs. I'm not sure it's really all that different now than it has ever been. Sure, it's not like people were always and everywhere working for some other entity in what we'd tend to recognize as a "job", but there has always been a struggle. The struggle in the past was to be able to grow enough food to last the winter to stave off starvation.
barrenko 5y ago
You'll be okay without a job, money, maybe even housing and food.
UnpossibleJim 5y ago
We are more mobile today than at any point in history, to be honest (at least in western European style cultures... for a large portion of the world, this statement might hold true, but to a much lesser degree, if at all). Indentures servitude has been abolished to a large degree (this can be argued, but this is argumentative on the basis of predatory and college loans) and slavery has been outlawed (again, this can be argued than prison labor is a form of slave labor in states like California when used to fight wildfires, but I'm not sure how much water those arguments hold). Conscripted military service is gone in America and a lot of European countries (though several have mandatory service requirements). Job mobility and the ability to save money is, while not easier than any point in history on a point by point history basis (the 60's and 80's, I believe were easier... check my math, I might be wrong, there may have been others), on a macro scale of history - comparing medieval, renaissance or previous Europe and Russian and Chinese wealth distribution, mobility and freedoms of self - rent/mortgage may be due, but you can still break your agreement, sell your house (there may be a penalty), quit your job and be a homeless ascetic if you want. There are dozens of YouTube channels on VanLife you can watch people doing it... not for me, but you can do it. You can join an abbey (though, I think you could have always done this... I'm not sure about this). You can leave the system and jump off the wheel, you just have to jump off the wheel and stop getting what the wheel gives you.
- wahnfrieden 5y ago
  We have less freedom of movement at will and ability to disobey orders than at many long stretches of civilization, at least according to anthro and archaeology research covered in Graeber’s last/new book
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago
  I hope you don't mind, but I've reformatted your comment so that I could read it more easily and thought others would benefit as well: We are more mobile today than at any point in history, to be honest[0]. Indentures servitude has been abolished to a large degree[1] and slavery has been outlawed[2]. Conscripted military service is gone in America and a lot of European countries[3]. Job mobility and the ability to save money is, while not easier than any point in history on a point by point history basis[4], on a macro scale of history - comparing medieval, renaissance or previous Europe and Russian and Chinese wealth distribution, mobility and freedoms of self - rent/mortgage may be due, but you can still break your agreement, sell your house[5], quit your job and be a homeless ascetic if you want. There are dozens of YouTube channels on VanLife you can watch people doing it... not for me, but you can do it. You can join an abbey[6]. You can leave the system and jump off the wheel, you just have to jump off the wheel and stop getting what the wheel gives you. [0] at least in western European style cultures... for a large portion of the world, this statement might hold true, but to a much lesser degree, if at all [1] this can be argued, but this is argumentative on the basis of predatory and college loans [2] again, this can be argued than prison labor is a form of slave labor in states like California when used to fight wildfires, but I'm not sure how much water those arguments hold [3] though several have mandatory service requirements [4] the 60's and 80's, I believe were easier... check my math, I might be wrong, there may have been others [5] there may be a penalty [6] though, I think you could have always done this... I'm not sure about this
jimbokun 5y ago
The entire premise of the website where we're discussing this topic, was to create a culture of equipping programmers to escape the hamster wheel of employment by starting their own businesses. No, it's not easy. But there's also the early retirement people, who spend little and save aggressively to escape the hamster wheel. And there is also the mentality of not letting the thing you do to pay the rent or mortgage define you. Put in your 8 hours, but don't let it consume you outside of those hours. You don't have to spend your whole life in the noodle shop. There are other ways to live.
- the_common_man 5y ago
  > The entire premise of the website where we're discussing this topic, was to create a culture of equipping programmers to escape the hamster wheel of employment by starting their own businesses. This seems like a minority these days. Most people are just chasing the house ownership hamster wheel.

tinco 5y ago

I think it's not specifically thinking that you should stop doing, but worrying. "Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles" is not a phrase he says while thinking, he says it while sulking. Part of living in the moment, is taking the time to reflect on your feelings and your dreams and judge them against the path that you are on. Just don't cross the line and fall over into the pool, make sure that once you've thought your thoughts you do the things you want and/or need to do to continue on your path. There is another Oogway quote that can be taken in a similar wrong way. He says "There is just news. There is no good or bad". Immediately after Shifu tells the news and Oogway hilariously responds "that is bad news". He seems to be contradicting himself, but I think the lesson should be taken from his demeanor, not from his literal words. Shifu is clearly distressed about the news, but Oogway takes it calmly. Not worrying, but carefully considering. Such a great movie :)

galaxyLogic 5y ago
I think Incredible String Band sums it up nicely in their song Job's Tears: "Happy man, the happy man Doing the best he can, the best he can " Surprisingly deep wisdom from such young artists, I think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd5yq76q51c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd5yq76q51c
auto 5y ago
> Oogway hilariously responds "that is bad news" Ahh, but don't forget, there's a small pause before Oogway continues "...if you do not believe that the Dragon Warrior can stop him" Admittedly, I only know this because my oldest daughter is obsessed with Kung Fu Panda at the moment and we watch it daily.
- tinco 5y ago
  Ah I forgot about that, I have only watched it twice as an adult with no children ;)

sorokod 5y ago

You could have a look at what Eckhart Tolle had to say on the subject and take it from there. "Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the now the primary focus of your life." Bear in mind that Kung Fu Panda is to philosophy is what Kung Fu Panda is to martial arts.

hutzlibu 5y ago

The past is history, future a mystery. Present is reality, that's what we are. (Rainbow song)

Melatonic 5y ago

I think the other meaning of the quote is not to avoid planning or only live in the moment or that day but to just pick something and go for it. Do it well - be excellent. You can worry about what was and what will be but at the end of the day we are all masters of our own narrative journey.

Loughla 5y ago
I don't think that's an 'other' meaning as much as a natural extension. It's not about planning or not planning. It's not about being a master of your own journey. It's about being able to identify what you can and what you cannot control, focusing on the can control and just letting the rest occur. This is something I struggle with. I see things, constantly, that are just rage inducing in terms of how stupid they are and how the problems they cause impact my life negatively. And I can't do anything about them. Yet I still spend time being negative, anxious, or otherwise focusing on them. It doesn't help, the problems still happen, and I spent time ruminating about them.
- spiddy 5y ago
  This reminds me my father when I mentioned bad news he always referred to a saying; no need to worry, things you can't control you can do nothing about them, and why worry about things you can control. I think the frustration often arise when we create the illusion of control and unexpected events shatter that idea, bringing ourselves in denial. A good measure is to keep a buffer for unexpected events and prepare yourself sentimentally.
moviewise 5y ago
> just pick something and go for it. Do it well - be excellent. It's funny that another Jack Black movie, "The School of Rock" (2003), has a similar message: Do what you love because you love it. Even if you are not very good at it, you can find a way to fit it into your life. https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/the-school-of-rock/ https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/the-school-of-roc... Another movie that shows this lesson is the 2013 documentary "Salinger": Be driven by making your work great, not by the reactions of others. https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/salinger/ https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/salinger/ Which is influenced by Hinduism, "you should do your work as perfectly as you possibly can with no thought of rewards, and only that way can you be a really happy person.”

ga2arch 5y ago

"What happened in Monte Carlo happened, what happened in Barcelona happened and what happened in Madrid happened, so here we are we are in Rome" - Rafa Nadal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIkp6n53g2w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIkp6n53g2w "if if if, it doesn't exists" - Rafa Nadal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T6S9Kbh69Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T6S9Kbh69Y "I can lose, he can beat me, but i can't give up" - Rafa Nadal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L8bnASLDwA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L8bnASLDwA

ecyrb 5y ago

The Beowülf song "today is a gift" sampled the "noodles" exchange, which prompted me to watch the KFP movies.

unsupp0rted 5y ago

I've always been curious why we translate old passages into "thou"s and "let not"s. This might be why modern people feel so disconnected from past people, even though we're basically identical. I connect a lot better with: > "Forget the future. When and if it comes, you’ll have the same resources to draw on—the same logos" (from Gregory Hayes translation, if I'm not mistaken) https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/0812968255 https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-New-Translation-Marcus-Au...

waynesonfire 5y ago
What a terrible translation. it's not true at all. Same resoucres in the futute? Unlikely. Nothing provides such guarantee. The original quote with thou and thees that you're curious about instead speaks to the intrinsic motivations being available when the future arrives not resources. So there is your answer? Meaning is lost in translation so best to stay as true to the original message as possible.
- unsupp0rted 5y ago
  How would you translate the original quote into modern English? Surely any major human language can accurately capture a translation from any other major human language, even if it requires more words than the original to convey the meaning.
  - dTal 5y ago
    The translation I've always heard is: "Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."
Netcob 5y ago
I agree - I think a case could be made for translating older versions of a language into the latest one, but especially if it's already a translation from a completely different language. What's news to me is that people in the present are translating old non-English texts into some older form of English - is that true?

sharadov 5y ago

Reminded me on this great answer by Eric Weinstein on Quora https://www.quora.com/In-Kung-Fu-Panda-how-does-Po-end-up-developing-the-capability-to-be-an-awesome-Kung-Fu-fighter-How-does-he-shift-from-being-a-total-fat-slob-to-becoming-capable-of-defeating-Tai-Lung https://www.quora.com/In-Kung-Fu-Panda-how-does-Po-end-up-de...

agumonkey 5y ago

I have this viscous view on things that the future is 1% change daily. You can't really plan anything in an organic social system where everything is coupled to everything. You push a bit and see, push a bit more.

2-718-281-828 5y ago

> "Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them... having with thee the same reason which now thou usest." That's what Marcus said? Or rather a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery old and dusty translation of what he said?

moviewise 5y ago

> I actually have found comfort in my personal life from thinking about that little passage... This idea of finding comfort or guidance in movies is exactly how I feel, and it is what motivates me to catalogue the life lessons found in movies on "moviewise."