I love all of those proverbs. So poetic yet so pithy! Here are a few of the sayings that got me thinking whenever my dad cryptically tossed them about:

1. "It's better to be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in the big ocean."

2. "Blood is thicker than water."

3. "Friends come and go, but family is forever."

4. "Work when you work, play when you play."

5. "If you laugh and cry at the same time, you'll grow hair on your butt." (Don't ask. I have no clue!)

I also still don't get "The sheep's hair grows on the sheep's back." I did a quick search on the internet and didn't find anything to shed further light on it. I'll have to ask around. Thanks for the cool post!

An inch of time is worth an inch of gold; but it is hard to buy one inch of time with one inch of gold

I still remember I first taught of this saying during my primary school days.

The teacher of course use it to motivate us to study hard but I can't recall how this proverbs meaning relates to study.

But this post further reminds me the importance of achieving financial freedom as early as possible.

If one fulfills his financial obligations in life, he can free up his time to do whatever he likes.

A few favorites

"Friendship improves happiness and abates misery by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief." - Marcus Cicero

"Whoever does not regard what he has as most ample wealth, is unhappy though he be master of the world." - Epicurus

"He who seeks revenge should remember to dig two graves." - Chinese proverb

I love them all and reading wise words is a great way to keep mentally fit.

I haven't heard much about the second meaning you mention here. It's interesting, but I do believe 99% of the time, the first meaning is the intended one.

In fact, in recent years, I've heard a growing number of people taking this a step further and changing the phrase to "Money could make grind stones turn demons (有钱能使磨推鬼）," meaning that money REALLY talks.

Pls share the rest of your classical Chinese proverbs. The ancient Chinese were so wise - the more things change, the more things remain the same.

Recently I have been thinking about the saying that the character for danger also means opportunity. (I may have mangled that a bit - but the idea still is there.)

I really enjoyed reading ur proverbs.

This is an example of trickle-down economics on a global scale. For generations, Americans wanted bigger, nicer things. Therefore, businessmen took the risks and created those things, and created jobs in the process.

Then, Americans wanted more and more things at cheaper prices so super stores were created.

Then, Americans wanted cheaper things that only looked expensive so the Kmarts and Walmarts were invented.

During the industrial revolution, Americans unionized and demanded fewer hours, and cleaner/safer working conditions.

Over the decades they have increased their demands to include more pay, overtime pay, and full benefits.

The environmentalists (who are not coincidentally also anti-capitalists) demanded reductions in pollution emissions, including "air scrubbers" on smokestacks, and outlawing chemicals such as Freon which provide comfort to office and factory workers all over the USA.

So, for every $20 you earn, your employer has to pay half your SS tax burden (7.65%) and your health care, sick days vacation pay, etc. so your hourly cost is actually more like $35/hr. Add to this OSHA and EPA costs, insurance overhead etc. and you are pretty darned expensive!

So China steps up to the plate and says, "gee, we have a gazillion peasant people living in grass huts without plumbing of any kind. Maybe their children would like the opportunity to a) earn some money, b) go to school, c)have a place with concrete walls in which to live, d) learn a trade or skill for free, e) learn to speak English, the language of business, f) have a shower and toilet, and g) have their meals and health care provided for. We can do these things for them. And the Americans will benefit from buying cheap goods, too! It's a win-win."

Now, China's cost of living is not as high as the USA's and with all the benefits provided to their workers, it's hardly "slave labor" (I seem to recall that slaves do not get paid). China's factories are also not burdened by the costs of OSHA, EPA, and air scrubbers. Of course their air quality proves that point.

However, they are in the midst of their own Industrial Revolution, and their peasant people are experiencing opportunities and wealth unseen in China in 6000 years. Do you really wish to deny opportunity to people who live in grass huts and farm with oxen and handmade plows so that you can have Premium Cable?