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

[Benjamin Barrett]

I think that's a Zen thing--or perhaps a Chán thing :) BB

> Jonathan Lighter <mailto:wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> March 16, 2015 at 7:27 AM
> 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:
>>
>> =E2=80=9CIf you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxi=
> ous 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/.
>>
>> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>> "Se voc=C3=AA est=C3=A1 deprimido,
>> Voc=C3=AA est=C3=A1 vivendo no passado:
>> se voc=C3=AA est=C3=A1 ansioso,
>> Voc=C3=AA est=C3=A1 vivendo no futuro:
>> Se voc=C3=AA est=C3=A1 em paz voc=C3=AA est=C3=A1 vivendo
>> no presente."
>> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>>
>> 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, "Lideran=C3=A7a Estrat=C3=A9gica" 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/.
>>
>

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