Nick asked me the other day if I believe that proverbs are a useful form of transmitting information. After thinking about it for awhile (which I do pretty often these days since Nick has several theory classes and is in contemplative mode), I decided that colloquial forms of information sharing--proverbs, truisms, wives’ tales, folk wisdom--might be the only truly effective way of passing a society’s norms from generation to generation. But what happens if the advice on any particular subject is conflicting? Which one do you take to heart? This is a question I’d like answered when it comes to helping strangers who are possibly dangerous. There’s a cautionary tale about a man who encounters a snake asking for a lift. The man at first refuses, considering the snake suspect and likely to bite him after the fact. The snake promises to be civil, gets a ride, then fatally strikes the man justifying his behavior by saying the man knew he was a snake when he picked him up. Which is a really different message than The Lion and the Mouse retold by Gail Herman. In that narrative, the theme is that helping others, even if you have reason to fear them, is the most d
esirable choice. So, which is the most wise? The most practical? The safest? Am I a good Samaritan without picking up hitchhikers? Am I a fool to let someone in the park use my cell phone? I don’t know…and apparently neither do those old wives.http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Mouse-Step-Into-Reading-Step/dp/0679886745
http://storytellerwv.tripod.com/id21.html
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