[Ads-l] False attribution for "If you are depressed, ..." (Zen comment, too)

Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
Mon Mar 16 14:27:06 UTC 2015


It doesn't even make sense.  When I live in the future, I'm anxious *and*
depressed. When I live in the present, I'm distracted or confused. When I
live in the past, then I'm at peace.

JL

On Sun, Mar 15, 2015 at 8:30 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>
wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      False attribution for "If you are depressed, ..." (Zen
> comment,
>               too)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I just saw the following on Facebook:
>
> “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you
> are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the
> present. - Lao Tzu"
>
> Among the webpages debunking this citation is
> http://ianchadwick.com/blog/poor-lao-tzu-he-gets-blamed-for-so-much/,
> written by Ian Chadwick on October 9, 2013. I gave up trying to find an
> earliest citation for this; the Internet is filled with this quote and
> Google is filled with incorrect date hits.
>
> This claim is not only in English; it can be found in Portuguese. The
> earliest I find is 15 April 2012 at http://blogdojj.com.br/tag/passado/.
>
> =====
> "Se você está deprimido,
> Você está vivendo no passado:
> se você está ansioso,
> Você está vivendo no futuro:
> Se você está em paz você está vivendo
> no presente."
> =====
>
> In August 2012, http://oquevocegosta.blogspot.com/2012/08/lao-tzu.html
> has this exact Portuguese wording, but--despite the Lao Tzu
> URL--attributes it to Junia Bretas. This attribution is echoed at
> http://www.wisdomcommons.org/wisbits/4785-if-you-are-depressed-you-are.
> I do not find it on her website at http://www.juniabretas.info/. Her
> book, "Liderança Estratégica" is shown at
> http://www.juniabretas.info/#!livros/c18tj but cannot be searched.
>
> As an aside, this quote is tagged as "Zen" at
> http://www.movemequotes.com/tag/anxiety/.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Formerly of Seattle, WA
>
> Learn Ainu! https://sites.google.com/site/aynuitak1/home
>
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>



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