3 ms·
Makes me think, "Theory only takes you so far" Or in 2020s slang, "Touch grass"
by ReactiveJelly 3y ago
Makes me think, "Theory only takes you so far"
Or in 2020s slang, "Touch grass"
- glouwbug 3y agoSure > Grass and trees are tender and soft at birth, and are dry and brittle at death. Therefore, The hard and strong belong to the company of death; The soft and weak belong to the company of life.
- zlg_codes 3y agoSuch conclusions aren't teaching you anything, though. It's a form of smugness that alludes to some magical knowledge you'll gain by doing X thing, when that's not how the world works. When people are telling others to "touch grass", it's usually in reference to a specific social thing or attitude they think the other should adopt, but refuse to spell out. It's a pejorative command meant to ridicule. It has no constructive applications, and its use in conversation indicates hostility on behalf of the speaker. If the opening line of the TTC was sufficient, the book wouldn't have been written. The reason the book leads with that is because words are a limiting medium. Much like one's hand pointing to the moon is not the moon, our words point to concepts, they are not the concept themselves. It also continues because, it's unhelpful to tell someone to "touch grass" or "go live it yourself", without any guidance. That's just being a dick. The TTC guides you with concepts and behaviors found in nature. Things you can go outside and observe if you look closely enough. There's no mysticism to it. Find patterns in nature, or pay attention to the "currents" in your life, and you'll find the Tao. Touching grass helps but it's not required. :)