Wang Bi and the Hermeneutics of Actualization
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
7-2023
Department 1
Philosophy
Abstract
I was unsure whether I should take on this new project—so I confided in a Spanish friend in a recent conversation. After reluctantly listening to my complaints about overloads and overwork, she settled the issue with the cutting saying, “Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente,” which literally translates into “A shrimp that sleeps gets carried by the tide,” and approximates the meaning of “You snooze, you lose.” Obviously, my friend had no interest in discussing shrimp, yet I effortlessly understood her position regarding my hesitation. Reflecting on the process of understanding, I had to forget the literal nonsense of her uttered words referring to sleeping shrimp and tides in order make room for her intention. Although she chose a proverb to caution me of the dangers of not actively making timely decisions and missing opportunities, she could have expressed her opinion in a variety of other ways. I was able to understand her meaning by virtue of her words, but only by letting the specific referents of her words go. [excerpt]
ISBN/ISSN
9781438493756
Recommended Citation
Valmisa, M. (2023). Wang Bi and the Hermeneutics of Actualization. In A. Galvany (Ed.), The Craft of Oblivion: Forgetting and Memory in Ancient China (pp. 245–267). SUNY Press. https://sunypress.edu/Books/T/The-Craft-of-Oblivion
Required Publisher's Statement
The book containing this chapter is available from the publisher's website.