The Maxims of Good Discourse

[therealsnape]

I'm currently reading a French detective novel set in Ancient Egypt (by Christian Jacq), and there I found some words of wisdom from Ptahotep. Amazingly apt in today's world, so I wanted to share it with you.

Here's from around 2200 years BC:

The fool who does not listen,
can accomplish nothing at all.
He sees knowledge as ignorance,
usefulness as harmfulness.
He does all that is detestable,
and is blamed for it each day.
He lives on that by which one dies,
he feeds on damned speech.

The French translation was even better for the last line: discours tordu, twisted speech.

If you want to read more, here is the website where I found the English translation and the confirmation that Ptahotep exists and is not a character invented by Christian Jacq. In these days one wants to check one's facts.

Comments

[shadowycat]

Amazingly apt, indeed!

[therealsnape]

Isn't it just?

[kelly_chambliss]

Proof (as if we needed any) that tyrants and fools are nothing new under the sun. I just hope we can survive the current ones.

I do like "discours tordu."

[therealsnape]

I loved those words, too. Liked them better than the English translation.

[dreamy_dragon73]

In these days one wants to check one's facts
Indeed. Also, very wise words from millenia ago.

[therealsnape]

Arent' they? Sad that in all those centuries you still find the same kind of idiots.

[lokifan]

...Wow.

[therealsnape]

Amazing, isn't it?

[ysilme]

Amazingly apt indeed. I agree, discours tordu fits even better.

[therealsnape]

It does, doesn't it? It was the one memorable bit in a dreadful book, but it really had me gasping.