Confucius Say...Chopsticks

It doesn’t seem that Confucius, who lived over three thousand years ago, gets the respect he deserves. His impact on the Chinese, called Confucianism, focuses on morality, kindness, and leading by virtue. Traits that seem in short supply with at least one of our leaders today. He also emphasizes family loyalty and especially respecting elders. Confucius was certainly a towering figure for the ancient Chinese and his impact is still felt today. 

The only thing I knew about Confucius, before reading the NY Times article, were Confucius jokes. These were popular when I was a kid, but we know better and we are doing better. You don’t hear those jokes anymore because they’re racist and often more than a little blue. They follow a specific pattern: the same opener, a set-up, then punchline. They are also told in broken English style. An example is: Confucius say: Early bird gets worm. But second mouse gets cheese. 

However, Confucius had an impact that is still with us. The NY Times said that based on the Confucian ideas of non-violence a change in the culinary arts occurred. Instead of violently stabbing one’s food with a knife, the chopsticks were invented and attributed to him.