Being in a strange and perverse mood, I found this to resonate with today's headlines and stories about people in the news.
If you make
yourself a dog
make yourself
a rich man's dog
-- Anon --
from Japanese Proverbs
Cynical? Wise? Practical?
Much depends upon this (which deserves another minute of meditation): why would anyone want to become a dog?
ReplyDelete[I guess the response to that question -- and your proverb -- depends upon a person's experiences as a human being. One size does not fit all.]
R.T.,
DeleteI suspect "the dog" stands for a follower or a sycophant that rich and powerful folk attract. Dogs are known for loyalty, faithfulness, and attachment to their masters, in spite of being treated poorly some or all of the time.
So, if one is going to surrender to a master, best make it a rich master. The leftovers will be of a higher quality than those from a poor man.
also a rich dog is less likely to be kicked out the door when times get tough... or maybe not...i think this apothegm has a distinct flavor of old Japan...
ReplyDelete