To agree or not to agree...

In Lin Yutang's "My Country, My People", I quote him, "WE do not know a nation until we know its pleasures of life, just as we do not know a man until we know how he spends his leisure. It is when a man ceases to do the things he has to do, and does the things he likes to do, that his character is revealed"

This paragraph appealed to me a lot at first. At second thought, however, I would rather distinguish 2 types of people: the first type of people would not be explained by Lin in the above paragraph, because they rarely do things that they have to do. They typically neither follow the crowd nor subordinate to hierarchies and hypocracies to benefit more from others or they simply are very responsive and fast-adapting to the enviroment. Rather, they are the fighters in a heroic way. They take initiatives to change realities. Most of this type of people would be of "failers" in the common point of view, however great souls. After all, the very few among this group who has succeeded implementing the changes become great minds to survive in history. The second type is the soul survivers. They freeride on the society as much as they can, either because of limited capability or low willingness. Most of this group will be "successful" people who climb fast in hierarchies or successful in the sense that they never have too much troubles. The ones who "fail" in this group are the ones who are either rebellions or have too little education to earn well.

Do you agree with me or not? ^&^

Tango Takes Two...

this is amazing, have a look when you have time:
http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=lemag&article=433730&lng=1&option=1

An excerpt to share with you...

Of Studies by Sir Francis Bacon

STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best, from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning, by study; and studies themselves, do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores. Nay, there is no stond or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body, may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores. If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study 197 the lawyers' cases. So every defect of the mind, may have a special receipt.