Why is “fall down seven times, stand up eight” a saying even though you can only stand up the same amount of times you have fallen? I know the proverb is about resilience, but why is the math wrong?
"Fall down seven times, stand up eight"; a very famous Proverb. This proverb relates to our attitude towards failure, meaning not to let ourselves be bogged down by it but to welcome it and re-try. Let's work out an example. Imagine, if you will, you want to strike a one legged pose in the middle of your bedroom for shits and giggles. The following sequence of steps is what you would most probably go through. You get up from your sofa and start trying immediately. (This is not considered as failure, but rather as the start of your efforts. So this "standing-up" cannot be counted with the stand-ups which come after falling down)At some point, you loose balance and fall for the 1st timeYou get up for the 1st time to re-try At some point, you loose balance and fall for the 2nd timeYou get up for the 2nd time to re-try At some point, you loose balance and fall for the 3rd timeYou get up for the 3rd time to re-try At some point, you loose balance and fall for the 4th timeYou get up for the 4th time to re-try At some point, you loose balance and fall for the 5th timeYou get up for the 5th time to re-try At some point, you loose balance and fall for the 6th timeYou get up for the 6th time to re-try At some point, you loose balance and fall for the 7th timeYou get up for the 7th time to re-try So, if you fall 7 times you're going to get up 7 times. Again, the first standing up does not count because it is not a failure but the start of a journey. Just because the proverb is (allegedly) Japanese and very old does not mean it is flawless and error-free.
What are the best quotes you have ever come across?
There is no universal principle, including this one.--Anonymous[EDIT: adding few more.]The more you sweat in peace the less you bleed in war.-George S. Patton US general you should all ask yourself what do you feel when you are defeated.are you blaming others, feeling depressed, or are you feel with passion, ready to take the challenge again.all those of you who has played on the field will have tasted defeat,there's no player who has not lost before,however the best players, as a tribute to all their efforts, will give everything they've got to stand up again,the ordinary players will take them a while to get back on their feet,while the losers will remain flat on the field.do not be ashamed about being defeated.to be defeated and to not stand up is what you should be ashamed of.-University of Texas Longhorn Head coach, Darrell Royal-Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand. ~Martin FowlerChinese Proverb:"When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.-Henry FordSports do not build character. They reveal it.John WoodenSuccess is like being pregnant,everyone congratulates you but no one knows the number of attempts you made to achieve it.-AnonymousDo not save your loving speeches for your loved ones till they are dead; do not write them on their tombstones, speak them now instead.-AnonymousWork for a cause, not for applause.Live life to express, not to impress.Don't strive to make your presence noticed.Just make your absence felt.-AnonymousThe robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief. ~William Shakespeare, OthelloAlways when judgingWho people are,Remember to footnoteThe words "So far."~Robert BraultLife is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert EinsteinIt is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.~Oscar Wilde
How much of Japanese history is taught in your country?
In the US public high school curriculum, I believe the format usually resembles something like this, assuming AP classes are available.AP Human Geography/World Geography ->AP US Government Politics/US Government/AP World History ->AP US History/AP European History ->AP Microeconomics/AP Macroeconomics/Any other AP Social Science Course.Notice how AP Asian history is not a thing.The only classes in which we’ll learn about Japanese history in detail is:AP US History: This will primarily focus on World War II from the American perspective. There is heavy emphasis on discussing the implications of the atomic bombings in the grander scheme of the Cold War. In this course, I learned about Japanese Internment Camps, Island Hopping, Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the planned invasion of Japan and why we chose to use the nuclear bombs instead. We very rarely discussed the Japanese perspective, other than “they wanted more oil for their empire”.AP World History: In this course, we learned a bit more about Japan. We learned about the Tokugawa Shogunate, how it formed, and the implications of the Shogunate. We learned about Bushido, the warring states period, how the Samurai had power at some point in Japan, etc. We learned about Matthew Perry? opening up the Japanese ports or something like that, if I recall correctly. Other than that, we learned about the Meiji Restoration period, the Heian period, and the Yamato. This sounds like a lot, but in reality we merely brushed passed it. Not much of this was learned in detail.Since there’s an AP European History course, I would like there to be an AP Asian History course that focuses primarily on China, Japan, Korea, India, and the Middle East. The problem is all of these regions also have a rich history and culture, so it would be hard to make that class specific as well…Overall, I’d say most of Japanese history taught in America is very broad, and only gives us a general idea of Japan as a country. It’s certainly not enough, but one could make that argument for other countries as well. Too much information and not enough time.
Where does "a cat has 9 lives" come from?
William Shakespeare refers to the nine lives myth in his play Romeo and Juliet. There is also an ancient proverb that claims, “A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays and for the last three he stays."Some people believe the nine lives myth is related to cats’ ability to always land on their feet. Cats are also known for their dexterity and agility.Over time, people witnessed cats survive in situations that surely would have severely injured other animals. Some people likely began to believe that cats must have multiple lives.In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals that were worshipped as gods. Ancient Egyptians believed that cats were divine creatures with psychic or supernatural powers. The idea that they could have multiple lives fit right in with their view of cats.But why nine lives? No one knows the answer to that one either. There are many possibilities.For example, the ancient Egyptian sun god, Atum-Ra, was believed to take the form of a cat on visits to the underworld.Legend has it that Atum-Ra gave birth to eight other gods and thus represented nine lives in one.Others believe the number may have come from China, where the number nine is considered lucky. The number nine — sometimes called “the trinity of trinities” — is also believed to be mystical in many religions and regions around the world.The myth that cats have multiple lives exists in many cultures around the world. It’s not always nine lives, though. Some Spanish-speaking regions believe cats have seven lives, while Turkish and Arabic legends claim cats have six lives.