10 Comments
User's avatar
INGRID C DURDEN's avatar

I love that saying - you never step in the same river twice. I think it is from the far East. There is also Panda Rhei, greek, everything flows. If we see life as a river, all we have to do is float along. You know it is hard to swim upstream, so why not go with the flow?

Rat's avatar

Both are usually attributed to Heraclitus. His work however survives only as citations in other authors, so we can't be quite sure what exactly he said or wrote.

INGRID C DURDEN's avatar

oh wow I did not know the first one was attributed to him as well. I thought rather of Lao Tse. But you got the same problem there, who was Lao Tse, did he really exist, and if so, did he really write it? So many good proverbs and sayings really go back to the dawn of time I think! Thankfully Rat remembers them.

Rat's avatar

I've long suspected large parts of ancient wisdom were in fact «found» by commentators and translators. :)

the long warred's avatar

He said “It’s the second mouse that gets the cheese.”

Kyle Kissinger (no relation)'s avatar

"Path of least resistance" is another similar saying.

Tricheco's avatar

Unprecedented situations are a lot like exigent circumstances. Both lend themselves to entirely predictable opportunism. I don't fault Rat for seizing the cheese (carpe caseum, if old learning still serves), of course. Life is precious and fleeting. A bite to eat is a big help!

Kyle Kissinger (no relation)'s avatar

Another transparent, lazy human excuse dismantled by Rat!