“May you live in interesting times”. I’ve always been intrigued by this phrase. We’ve all heard it. Is it a curse? Where does this saying come from. It has been said that it is an old Chinese curse derived from a 17th century Chinese story about living in times of peace or war:
Thirsty, hungry, they bore all manner of hardships;
Where would they have a home to call their own again?
They prayed to heaven, earth, and their ancestors,
Not to let them run into the Jurchens.
Truly, better be a dog in days of peace
Than a human in times of war!
Other historians connect the famous saying to British diplomats who spent time in China during the 18th & 19th centuries. Interestingly, it’s closely connected to the Chamberlain family.
Sir Austen Chamberlain, addressing the annual meeting of Birmingham Unionist Association last night, spoke of the “grave injury” to collective security by Germany’s violation of the Treaty of Locarno.
Sir Austen, who referred to himself as “a very old Parliamentarian,” said:—
“It is not so long ago that a member of the Diplomatic Body in London, who had spent some years of his service in China, told me that there was a Chinese curse which took the form of saying, ‘May you live in interesting times.’ There is no doubt that the curse has fallen on us.”
“We move from one crisis to another. We suffer one disturbance and shock after another.”
Although historians are unable to find the exact lineage of this saying in their study of Chinese history, it has continued to be referred to as a “Chinese curse” throughout the 20th century:
In 1966 Robert F. Kennedy delivered a speech that included an instance:
There is a Chinese curse which says “May he live in interesting times.” Like it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also the most creative of any time in the history of mankind.
Well, what ever the lineage of this saying ….. we sure do live in interesting times and it just may be a curse. Think about it. We’d rather live in happy, peaceful times than a time of unheaval like now.
So now for some tweets about our “interesting times”:
Don’t forget the March For Our Lives marches on March 24th. Find one in your area! At the same time…. register to vote if you have not done so (or check to make sure you’re still registered!) or help set up a voter registration drive at your local march.
Time to chat… have a good Monday!