from Zhuangzi, Chapter 1A man of the Sung State carried some ceremonial caps to the Yu:eh tribes for sale. But the men of Yu:eh used to cut off their hair and paint their bodies, so that they had no use for such things.~ Yutang Lin translation ~
A person could come up with the greatest and most stupendous idea in the whole world, but, if it doesn't match the time, the place and the situation, it is of no use.
I remember years back when I was a social worker with state agencies in Arkansas and Missouri. Every so often a new dictate would come down from the state office detailing a brand new strategy. These strategies tended to look great on paper, but the scenarios presented RARELY matched up with what we had to deal with in the field.
And why did the strategies rarely match up with the REAL world? Because the people who drew them up spent their days in high-rise buildings hobnobbing with state leaders and NOT with the very people the strategies were meant to help!
Consequently, I usually read the new directive and then ignored it as much as possible -- to the obvious chagrin of my supervisors!
Without realizing it at the time, I was following in the footsteps of Zhuangzi. My approach was quite eclectic; I utilized whatever strategy seemed to work with the given situation.
To read more musings about the Zhuangzi, you can visit the index page for this ongoing series.
I remember years back when I was a social worker with state agencies in Arkansas and Missouri. Every so often a new dictate would come down from the state office detailing a brand new strategy. These strategies tended to look great on paper, but the scenarios presented RARELY matched up with what we had to deal with in the field.
And why did the strategies rarely match up with the REAL world? Because the people who drew them up spent their days in high-rise buildings hobnobbing with state leaders and NOT with the very people the strategies were meant to help!
Consequently, I usually read the new directive and then ignored it as much as possible -- to the obvious chagrin of my supervisors!
Without realizing it at the time, I was following in the footsteps of Zhuangzi. My approach was quite eclectic; I utilized whatever strategy seemed to work with the given situation.
To read more musings about the Zhuangzi, you can visit the index page for this ongoing series.
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