Lao Tzo would approve of perl

The recent discussions about whether or not perl is a
real programming language (the kind of controversy
that causes me to stare at the screen in disbelief or
snicker at a presumed-troll) have reminded me of another
little snippet from Lao Tzu, who wrote many things linking
computer languages with life. He noted that the dynamic
and flexible (fluid like water, and supple like youth)
are those which are ultimately triumphant, while those
things which are inflexible and brittle are, by definition,
nearly dead:

76.

Man is born gentle and supple. 
At death, his body is brittle and hard. 
Living plants are tender, 
and filled with life-giving sap, 
but at their death they are withered and dry. 

The stiff, the hard, and brittle 
are harbingers of death, 
and gentleness and yielding 
are the signs of that which lives. 
The warrior who is inflexible 
condemns himself to death, 
and the tree is easily broken, 
which ever refuses to yield. 
Thus the hard and brittle will surely fall, 
and the soft and supple will overcome.
[download]

Rob

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Re: Lao Tzo would approve of perl by strfry() (Monk) on Dec 08, 2001 at 00:37 UTC
That would be the Lao Tzo, of Tao Te Jing fame yes? (there's a billion various spellings of it i know - the translation from chinese to english tends to be far more complex than the lessons themselves) (: Another appropriate stanza would be: `19. If we could abolish knowledge and wisdom Then people would profit a hundredfold; If we could abolish duty and justice Then harmonious relationships would form; If we could abolish artifice and profit Then waste and theft would disappear. Yet such remedies treat only symptoms And so they are inadequate. People need personal remedies: Reveal your naked self and embrace your original nature; Bind your self-interest and control your ambition; Forget your habits and simplify your affairs.` [download] I can't be certain that this is an exact quote, as it's coming off the top of my head (i'm at work, and my books on the tao are at home) - but you get the gist of it. The K.I.S.S. rule apparently has been around longer than the coders whom coined it. (: -- Peace, strfry()	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Lao Tzo would approve of perl by Fengor (Pilgrim) on Dec 11, 2001 at 15:56 UTC
This reminds me of a saying from O'sensei (Morihei Ueshiba): Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead. The Art of Peace is a celebration of the bonding of heaven, earth, and humankind. It is all that is true, good, and beautiful. greetings fengor -- "WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR IF NOT THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN" -- Terry Pratchett, "Reaper Man"	[reply]
Re: Lao Tzo would approve of perl by TGI (Parson) on Dec 12, 2001 at 01:45 UTC
Here is a previous discusion on Tao and Perl. Here's my reply, which draws on Chuangtse for comment. Hexagram 24, Return, says: "To and fro goes the way. On the seventh day comes return. It furthers one to have somewhere to go." I'm sure we'll have this discussion again :). TGI says moo	[reply]