JayT Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 Zhuangzi on uselessness Now, a soaring imagination may be wild and wonderful, but it is extremely impractical and often altogether useless. Indeed, Huizi, Zhuangzi's friend and philosophical foil, chides him for this very reason. But Zhuangzi expresses disappointment in him: for his inability to sense the use of this kind of uselessness is a kind of blindness of the spirit. The useless has use, only not as seen on the ordinary level of practical affairs. It has a use in the cultivation and nurturing of the 'shen' (spirit), in protecting the ancestral and preserving one's life, so that one can last out one's natural years and live a flourishing life. Now, this notion of a flourishing life is not to be confused with a 'successful' life: Zhuangzi is not impressed by worldly success. A flourishing life may indeed look quite unappealing from a traditional point of view. One may give up social ambition and retire in relative poverty to tend to one's shen and cultivate one's xing (nature, or life potency). I like the life potency aspect, so I think I'll just xing-it :nahnah: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 And that is only the useful ones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 The extra detail may be* useful*. But this is about useless posts so not appropiate here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 And that is only the useful ones... You've made a useful post? When? Where? I made one once, but it was an accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 Incredibly beautiful breeze here in BKK on my veranda, supporting my watching of CNBC for the latest on the "crisis," listening to Waylon, smoking a stogie, and drinking Patron on ice... Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 I just had a Tuna on multi grain bread, with romaine lettuce and tomato. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 i just had a moment of pathetic weakness and ate a packet of oreos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 Mine was as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tartempion Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 Oh well, with less than 10k posts in 5 years missing the 2k posts/year marker you will need to do better, not that your little rant in Riskiest Place Sex was a useful one, good try :thumbup: You can't afford the South of France? I do, greetings from la Côte D'Azur with a lovely Pastis on ice. Score: SD 2 - Tarty 2 Oh, and we do have the best Tarts on the planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 Tart, elsewhere please. Thanks. This is for useless posts, not cock size competitions....(which incidentally you'd lose anyway). Hot today in Krung Thep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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