The Dow and The Tao

I’m sure you all learned and remember what a homonym is from your English classes in grade school. NOT! Don’t feel bad. Neither did I. I missed that class along with grammar, punctuation, spelling, penmanship and geography. Not too swift with math either.

A homonym, according my wife (who went to all the classes I missed) and to Funk and Wagnall’s is, “a word identical with another in pronunciation, but differing from it in origin, spelling and meaning.” (p 308)

Isn’t it interesting and amusing that the Dow and the Tao are homonyms as Tao is pronounced dau. Could any two words be more different from one another than these? The Tao is a religion and philosophy founded by Lao Tsu in China 2500 years ago. I wonder what he would feel about the new China? It is amazing how his comments which follow are so appropriate today.

There’s not much good news to quote from the Dow these days (though it is getting a little better), but so much from the Tao. Here is a sampling:

Better stop short than fill to the brim.
Oversharpen the blade and the edge will soon blunt.
Amass a store of gold and jade and no one can protect it.
Claim wealth and titles and disaster will follow.
………………………

Accept disgrace willingly.
Accept misfortune as the human condition.
Accept being unimportant.
Do not be concerned with loss or gain.
……………………...

That which shrinks must first expand.
That which fails must first be strong.
That which is cast down must first be raised.
……………………...


We would love to hear if/how these apply to your situation.

Bye For Now,
Bill
williampenzer.com
954 475 1371 x 301
561 361 1898 x 301

see blog on 3/17/09 to know our goals