Why do fishes figure in so many of them?
Why are so many idioms (sayings that are untranslatable because they are symbolic) and proverbs about fish and fishes? Fishes can help you measure ambition. And more...
“Only dead fish go with the flow”
When I was in the 10th grade, I too was working to craft my own identity. The battle is always about fitting in or find your own groove. I would be unhappy, no matter which side I chose. My geography teacher pulled me aside in the corridor and whispered, “Only dead fish go with the flow”
The Japanese art of fish printing (Gyotaku) began not as art, but as a fisherman's method of recording catches in the mid-1800s. Fishermen would ink their and plonk it on a piece of paper. That recorded the size of the fish. The artwork did not depend on anyone’s artistic talent.
Koi hai
Almost every language uses fish in their idioms and proverbs to convey wisdom and life lessons ‘Fish get caught in nets, birds in traps, humans in words or “The fish gets caught by closing its mouth last”. Or the Russian idiom Bez truda ne vylovish' i rybku iz pruda - “Without effort, you won't even catch a fish (rybku) from the pond.” The Bantu language warns, “"If you try to drown a fish, the ocean laughs." So don’t challenge someone’s core competence!
What is your favourite saying about fish?
Fish in mythology
Namazu, the giant catfish, is believed to live under the earth and cause earthquakes when it thrashes about, according to Japanese mythology.
The story of Pisces, the constellation, involves two fish that helped save Aphrodite and her son Eros. When the monster Typhon attacked them, the fish carried them to safety, and in gratitude, they were placed in the stars. (read A horoscope Pisces me off)
In several Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest, there's a belief that salmon were originally immortal beings who chose to become fish to feed humanity. As a gesture of respect, many tribes return salmon bones to the water after eating, believing this allows the fish to resurrect and continue their cycle of giving.
I tried recreating the salmon painted in Native American Style.
Fishes can be used to measure happiness
Imagine which of these four fishes is the happiest? I tried all four combinations of fish and pond size. Sometime I think it is neither the fish size nor the pond size - it depends on who else you are swimming with. What do you say?
If you are a teen or were ever a teen, you will recognise which kind describes you best.
"The Big Fish in a Small Pond" Teen: Basically the kid who memorized the entire periodic table just to flex in chemistry class. They're the ones who become class president, captain of the debate team, AND somehow find time to remind everyone about it. Their Instagram bio probably reads "Future CEO”.
"The Small Fish in a Small Pond" Teen: These are the chill vibes masters. While everyone's stressing about becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg, they're perfectly content being the best Mario Kart player in their friend group. Their biggest ambition is convincing their parents that getting a C+ in math "builds character."
"The Big Fish in a Big Pond" Teen: Meet the teenager who's already started three non-profits, learned quantum physics on YouTube, and is casually working on their first patent. While most kids are trying to figure out how to talk to their crush, these overachievers are emailing NASA about their internship applications.
"The Small Fish in a Big Pond" Teen: The kid who joins every club but ends up being a professional meeting attendee. They're surrounded by seahorses and jellyfish doing incredible things, while they're still trying to figure out if they actually submitted the assignment that was due yesterday. But at this very moment, they're hanging around with the big fish.
Fishing in troubled waters
The CEO of a company in India advocated a 90 hour work week.
He said, “What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can wives stare at their husbands? Go to the office and start working. Honestly, I am sorry that I am not able to make you work on Sundays.”
WOW!!
It is likely that the CEO has an army of housekeepers and does not have to look after old parents or help with his kid’s homework.That has set the social media on fire. Most people have slammed him.
But what if you LOVE what you do, then is it OK to work for 70-90 hour weeks?Jack Ma advocated a punishing 9-9-6 culture at Alibaba in 2019 when he had an Elon Musk like cult status. And Musk works insane hours as well. So why does not attract as much flak? What is your take?
WHAT IF: “If you're lucky enough to get to do what you love, how do you know the RIGHT AMOUNT to do it?” Listen to this podcast.
I believe …