A proverb

Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for his lifetime.

This proverb shows us in the simplest way what education and knowledge mean and causes, doesn't it?

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Rose Iris

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Comments

  • Thanks a lot for your comment on my post, Rick.

    We can see that we have the similar quotations.

    So we have more in common than many people think.

  • I just went through the comments from the others. Just like O.M said, sometimes people are not willing to learn but to get the benefit directly from you.

    From my view, they are actually two different things. The proverb you mentioned is about how to teach a man while the other one is about who should be the right person to teach. Chinese ancient educator Confucious once said, "He/She is worthy of being taught." So, here as a teacher or educator, I think the first thing they should do is to identify the real needs that students eagerly long for. Some of them can be taught and the others may be not.

    In the ancient China, we have also the same proverb says, "Teaching a man fishing is better than giving a man fish."

  • That's the point Zivi.

    Rys, your saying has almost the same meaning, it's just without the act of teaching how to fish.

    Thanks for leaving your comment, guys.

  • oi there Panie Rys, I think they already have kniown how to fish. The problem is that huge armadas has stolen the fish, those people had been fishing before the armadas came.

  • Oi there, folks

       In my tribe we say" Don't give them fish, give them a fishing rod!"...and don't worry, they'll soon find out how to catch fish with it. 

  • You are totally right, Zivi.

    I am always upset when I see how wrong help can be.
    Donating goods and food only helps in the current moment.
    Often we destroy more than we want to save.
    When we send vegetables and chicken parts from Europe to Africa or our old clothes and shoes (just for example), we don't help. We destroy all the little farms and factories that people with much effort have founded.
    Instead of that, we should help the local farmer and crafts to found, maintain and develop on their own business.
    The so-called first-world-countries have still to learn a lot.

    As you say: "we also have to leave some fish in the sea to catch."

    We have to do even more than that. Nobody owns the earth, the oceans, and the sky. We have not just to leave some fish in the sea to catch. We have also fairly to share what we have on our planet.

  • Exactly, saba!

    Thanks for your comment.

  • Hi, Glosky.

    I agree with you.

    The first duty is teaching people how to work for their daily bread.

    Sometimes, if someone is in need, giving is necessary, but we should find out what people urgently need in that situation. If we don't do that, giving is senseless.

    Thanks for reading and commenting on this topic.

  • Onee-chan, I can underline every single word you said.

    Thanks for your meaningful comment on my post.

  • As long as we also leave him some fish in the sea to catch it is a wise word.

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