Counting Counter Quotes: Reasonable vs Unreasonable & Confucianism

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ivan Seeking
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Counter Quote
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
51 replies · 15K views
Messages
8,252
Reaction score
2,666
I thought it might be interesting to see how many counter quotes can be found to respond to a given quote.

For example, one that hit me some time ago was that of reasonable people.

Quote: "The reasonable man adapts to the world around him, while the unreasonable person tries to change the world to suit him. Conclusion: Change only occurs because of unreasonable people."

As a counter quote: The Chinese have a saying that goes something like, "the weed that stands out the most is the one that gets knocked down first"

or

Q: "To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue. . . . [They are] gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness."-- The Confucian Analects, bk. 17:6

CQ: Nice guys finish last.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
In fact, why not make it a game like What was it - provide a counter quote and then a quote for the next person.

Q:Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow! -- Horace [Quintus Horatius Flaccus] 65 – 8 B.C. Odes, bk. I [23 B.C.], ode xi, last line
 
the sqeeky wheel gets the grease

can't think of anything to counter that?
 
speak now or forever hold your peace.
 
An inability to stay quiet is one of the most conspicuous failings of mankind. ~Walter Bagehot
 
Actions speak louder than words.
 
Two heads are better than one, and, indeed, many hands make light work, but only so long as it's not a case of too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, because too many cooks spoil the broth.
 
aah that one's hard... all I can think of is:

"The more the merrier—ALWAYS!"

... but I kind of cheated...

here's mine:

"This proverb has no opposite." --- muahaha there's no way out of that one!
 
moe darklight said:
"This proverb has no opposite." --- muahaha there's no way out of that one!
Yeah there is: it's not a real proverb. You just invented it.
 
zoobyshoe said:
Two heads are better than one, and, indeed, many hands make light work, but only so long as it's not a case of too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, because too many cooks spoil the broth.

One shouldn't bother with broth anyway, as an apple a day is much better at keeping the doctor away.
 
zoobyshoe said:
Yeah there is: it's not a real proverb. You just invented it.

Well someone has to. All the proverbs are so old, nobody's making new proverbs now a days. I say you don't have to be ancient and chinese or greek to write a proverb! and I think that's a good candidate for being a proverb!
 
franznietzsche said:
Actions speak louder than words.

say what you mean and mean what you say
 
light_bulb said:
the sqeeky wheel gets the grease

can't think of anything to counter that?
There is an opposing Japanese proverb "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down."
 
jimmysnyder said:
There is an opposing Japanese proverb "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down."

Two nails in the hand are worth one in the board.
 
Of what use is it that the cow gives plenty of milk, if she upset the pail.
 
Try counter quoting this one :

Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.
- Albert Einstein (Don't know if he really said it)
 
franznietzsche said:
Two nails in the hand are worth one in the board.
Measure twice, chop once.
 
Two wrongs don't make a right (but three lefts do.)
 
dontdisturbmycircles said:
Try counter quoting this one :

Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.
- Albert Einstein (Don't know if he really said it)
Virtue can hurt you.
 
jimmysnyder said:
Measure twice, chop once.

That's a good one.
 
zoobyshoe said:
Two heads are better than one, and, indeed, many hands make light work, but only so long as it's not a case of too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, because too many cooks spoil the broth.

moe darklight said:
aah that one's hard... all I can think of is:

"The more the merrier—ALWAYS!"

... but I kind of cheated...

here's mine:

"This proverb has no opposite." --- muahaha there's no way out of that one!

zoobyshoe said:
Yeah there is: it's not a real proverb. You just invented it.

That's the pot calling the kettle black.
 
BobG said:
That's the pot calling the kettle black.
Birds of a feather flock together.
 
BobG said:
That's the pot calling the kettle black.

lol you said what I wanted to say but didn't have a proverb for it!

I would have made one up but... :biggrin:

altho he didn't really make one up as much as created a proverb remix :smile: .
 
Together we stand, divided we fall.
 
hypatia said:
Together we stand, divided we fall.

You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose, no matter how close you are.
 
he who laughs last laughs best.