5 ms·
There is this thing about ancient China: each son, when his father died, had to mourn for three years. Yes, three years. And it meant stopping your official occ
by gbog 13y ago
There is this thing about ancient China: each son, when his father died, had to mourn for three years. Yes, three years. And it meant stopping your official occupation, e.g. official employment. (This didn't apply to the peasant).
Result: most of the great products of Chinese culture are a direct consequence of this forced idleness.
- jonahss 13y agoCould you provide a source for this conclusion? I'm interested in the idea, but can't find anything on it.
- gbog 13y agoIt has been mentioned in Essays on China by Simon Leys (I read it in French).
- padobson 13y agoHere's something sort of related in Deuteronomy 24:5 - If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married How much of the rest of the Bible came out of obeying that law, I wonder?