There's this brand of soap you may have heard of call Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap, which is notable because the label is covered in text from the funky religious writings of the company's founder. The writing style is unusual--it often goes off on sudden tangents about how communism is a bad thing and overall sounds like something made by translation software. But one thing I like about it is how, whenever there's not a good word in the English language for a concept he wants to refer to, he just combines words with hyphens to get the same idea. That's how you get terms like "constructive-selfish."
I wanted to pass on some quotes from the peppermint soap advising people to be constructive-selfish:
"1st: If I'm not for me, who am I? Nobody!
2nd: Yet, if I'm only for me, what am I? Nothing!
3rd: If no now, when? Once More: Unless constructive-selfish I work hard perfecting first me, absolute nothing can help me! [...]"
"5th: Whatever unites mankind is better than whatever divides us! Yet, if absolute-unselfish I am not for me, I'm not but classless, raceless, starving masses, never free nor brave! Only if constructive-selfish I work hard perfecting first me, like arctic owls - penguin - pilot - cat - swallow - beaver, bee, can I teach the MORAL ABC'S ALL - ONE - GOD - FAITH [...]"
"7th: Each Swallow works hard to be perfect pilot-provider-builder-trainer-teacher-lover-mate, no half-true hate! So, each day like a bird, perfect thyself first! Have courage and smile my friend. Think and act 10 years ahead! And the man without fault? He's dead! Do one thing at a time, work hard! Get done! [...]"
"12th: A great teacher, must first, a self-supporting hardworker be, like Alesen - Baeck - Carnegie - Cousteau - Hammer - Liebman - Paine - Sanger - Spinoza - Strauss - Szasz - Wilke - Yadin - Zamenhof, or he'll turn our greatest teaching into spades, to bury our people!"
Confession: I only recognize two people from that list of names.
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