靜坐常思己過,閒談莫論人非 / Finding Peace in Solitude

Often in the middle of chaotic augments, I remember the old Chinese saying: 『靜坐常思己過,閒談莫論人非』which roughly translates to: "Find solitude to think about one's own shortcomings; don't gossip about other people's weaknesses." This is not exactly the same as:『各家自掃門前雪,莫管他人瓦上霜』, which means "Clear the snow in your driveway and don't worry about the frost on your neighbour's roof". The former is reflective of one's imperfection and therefore the need to stay humble before passing judgements, while the latter advocates the virtue of minding your own business. However, going to the extreme, both can be deadly when people stay passive and apathetic, refuse to help others and lose all sense of community/social responsibility.

Having spent the last two blog posts on 「港男港女」, I find it necessary to stay out of the fray on an issue that I cannot quite related to - having been in Canada for so long - and find some peace in solitude, at least for the time being.

(Photo: Canadian River Scene in Early Fall / / 攝影图片: 十月初秋加拿大河景)