Things are not always what they seem...
federica
Seeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
I came across some interesting information, the other day. I overheard to ladies speaking, at a bus-stop, and one happened to say to the other,
"Well, you know what they say, 'Blood IS thicker than water'!"
And I began to wonder what one earth it meant...
Basically, if you look at the phrase, it makes no real sense. "Blood is thicker than water". No shit, sherlock... I mean, the 'blood is thicker...' is logical... but 'water'? What's that about? What does that mean, exactly, in the context of friends, buddies, partners/spouses...? Why 'water'? What, you met them during swimming lessons, is that it?
Nope.
The phrase originated at the time where comradely loyalty and fellowship was of paramount importance, within a gathering of men set on a mission. Warriors, fellow combatants, all set on victory at all costs, but together, as a unit, watching each others' backs. You must have heard the phrase 'blood brothers' when referring to an essence of valour, and of unity.
It wasn't uncommon for hard-and-fast friends to cut themselves, either on the 4th finger, or across the palm, and then touch each other in order to mingle the two bloods.
Thus were they inexorably and inseparably connected. It was an unbreakable bond, one that nothing would ever sever, a vow to always be at one, together, no matter what.
(The 4th finger was believed to have a direct connection to the heart, which is why we wear promisory rings on that finger.)
Families, you're born into. You can't choose your family. That's whom you're stuck with, and if Christmas time and weddings are anything to go by, harmony and cooperation are not words that easily spring to mind - whereas these are both times during which 'Family', "The ties that bind", should traditionally be paramount, the reality is that both Yultide and marriages see the culmination and fruiting of many a rift!
Ok, so that shows where we became mistaken about the 'blood' bit. But what about the 'water' bit?
Still not clear?
Ok.
Two words:
Amniotic Fluid.
Water.
The origin of Life. The essential element in which we reside in the first faltering, developmental months of our existence.
Essential. Vital. Primal.
But temporary.
And as we know, water, well-used gives us life, but mis-used, can drown us and choke us, depriving us of Life's breath.
So there you have it.
Now - you know.
What 'proverbial Truth' have you ever discovered is actually not what it seems?
Comments
I used to live in Yorkshire . . .
'There is nowt as queer as folk'
'Queer' in the old sense of unusual, contrary, eccentric, different. Nowt means 'nothing' or 'no other thing'. So a more modern translation is:
'Buddhists; dem weird man!'
http://www.answers.com/Q/Where_does_the_saying_none_so_queer_as_folk_originate
That there is no truth that is exactly the way it seems.
...Nor is it otherwise....
A piece that is very good to read, if sci-fi, religion and bloody revolution is in your barometer, is Dune by Frank Herbert.
Actually the title should have been "About Blood and Water". Your explanation gives a interesting new dimension to the book.
Good and still modern story, nice setting and interesting evaluation of the importance of water and blood, since it is set on Arrakis a desert planet.
/Victor
Thanks for that, @Victorious, I'll be sure to look that up....
Another saying, oft-quoted and misinterpreted, is one I believe I have mentioned before.
"Tun the other cheek."
This has come to denote being placid in the face of adversity, hostility, or anger from another.
Let it slide, don't rise to the bait, let it go, leave it be, be the 'bigger person', let the anger come, don't react or retaliate.
Again, this interpretation is quite inaccurate.
When Christ exhorted his followers to ignore the eye for an eye' rule-of-thumb', by advising them to turn the other cheek, he wasn't advising them to roll with the ounches, go with the flow, or let whatever happens, come what may.
he was actually recommending tacit and silent defiance.
From HERE.
I suppose it is (hopefully) quite rare that people physically strike each other in the heat of an argument. Most 'blows' nowadays would tend to be of a verbal nature, but even then, rather than cower under the pummeling of a spoken onslaught, one can retain one's dignity and "retaliate" in a peaceful but non-aggressive way. The skill is to rise above the commonplace and understandable temptation to give back as good as one gets.
Instead, skilful and mindful responses can be used in order to diffuse the situation, and at the same time, convey the inappropriate nature of their comments....
Interesting, @federica, thanks for sharing
I have many of those types of friends. Thankfully. My family is a bit nutty.
Mine, I think is more than just 'a bit'...!
That's just it, though, isn't it?
Even if we have close family relations, we none of us belong to 'The Brady Bunch' and there's bound to be at least one so-called close family relative who consistently and PERsistently rubs us up the wrong way.
This can range from mild irritation to downright hostility and even estrangement.
Families, we're born into, which is what makes disentangling ourselves from the influence of one person within that family, so difficult.
It's not 'ever speaking to them again' which is the hard bit.
But it's because it invariably has a knock-on effect, and involves other members, who may find themselves as piggy in the middle, their loyalties pulled hither and thither... And that may not be a situation we ever want to put them in.
Friends? Friends are different.
Friends, we choose.
And what makes a friend?
Not someone who always agrees with us, surely?
I once saw a wonderful definition of a friend.
"A friend is someone who can see right through you - and still enjoy the show."
It's someone with whom we can disagree, but who we know will always be loyal, have our backs and to whom we can be the same.
The sense of betrayal, by a friend, is often more deeply hurtful than anything a family member might do.
I think this is funny too - and amy well contain a grain of truth:
"A good friend will help you to move house.
A REALLY good friend will help you to move the body..."
I was looking for a quote that I've always liked and found a couple, and one to use in another thread. I love Richard Bach, lol
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."
and
"Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof."
As an aside, I have a mostly mild case of paroxysmal tachycardia, and one of the things that will trigger it is becoming somewhat dehydrated. As the doc explained it, when dehydrated, the blood becomes thicker, making the heart work harder and faster to pump oxygen to the rest of the body. Adding more and more water to your system thins out the blood. And the difference can sometimes be detected in as little as a half hour. So, I am happy that water is thinner than blood!
Blood is tinner that water?
lol.
Dr Fereydoon Batmanghelidj (Dr. Batman for short) wrote a book titled "Your body's many cries for water". Frankly, it's the first thing you should go for in any situation where there may be a non-invasive problem with the way the body's working... A good glass of water may well relieve the symptoms and ease the condition.
While his work and research has come under heavy criticism and question (even, at times, condemnation) I personally (and this is just my account) have always insinctively reached for a glass of water when feeling the first signs of "imbalance" and to be candidly honest, I have always felt I benefitted greatly from it.
It has been established that one of the major causes contributing to the death of the elderly in Care homes and/or hospitals, has been dehydration.
Unless you suffer possible internal injuries in an accident, or you suspect you have ingested some toxic substance, there's a lot to be said for a glass of water.
@federica every time my kids come to me with an ill or a physical problem, I have them drink water. Just a guesstimate, but probably close to 90% of their problems are alleviated by water intake. From poor moods, to headaches, to stomach upset, to false hunger, to performance issues in sports. Water is my go-to cure. If water, a well balanced meal and a good night's sleep don't fix the problem, then we start to consider other options. But it's rare we have to.
I understand that in order for something 'scientific' to be accepted, there must be rigorous trials, endless research, thorough investigation and repetitive, constant identical results and conclusions.
I understand that Dr Batman's claims with regard to the ailments listed, seem far-fetched, and the remedy, simplistic.
I understand the scepticism and doubt other eminent medical professionals have expressed at his work, claims and findings.
But as we have the three of us stated, things feel better after water.
And I'm tempted to maybe think that because the solution seems so simple and obvious, that is the reason it is derided and dismissed.
Or maybe other medics are just a little pissed off because THEY never thought of it....?
I can't speak about all of Batman's and Robin's claims about water, but my physician has been very specific about the need for me to increase water intake to improve my health in several very specific ways. I already mentioned the heart issue, but also to improve my acid reflux, and congestion (water "waters down" phlegm making it easier to eliminate). Not to mention intestinal processes. Now, he also said that any source of water, including that in "solid" food and other beverages (unless they contain alcohol) also counts toward his recommendation for me of 96-128 ounces a day.
I would recommend his book. By all means take his advice with a pinch of salt (1 to every 3 litres of spring water) but bear in mind that a lot of what he says is basically good old common sense.
That is the American version of the blood brother ceremony, the only known European version involves two wounded opponents fighting to a standstill and then allowing their blood to mingle on the ground. This was early medieval Scandinavia where beating someone in a fight gave you bragging rights and a kind of informal ownership over the vanquished. The two warriors were formally acknowledging that neither had a right over the other while both retaining victors status, creating an almost familial tie between them.
However, that is not the blood of the phrase except in a few famous (if fictional) cases. The blood line was that which came down through the mother; everyone can know their true mother, not everyone can know their true father. Water could denote the other line, siblings who shared a father but not a mother which was held to be an inferior connection. Water was also the basis of the settlement, you shared a water source with people outside your immediate family and had to trust them not to pollute or deplete it but they were not family and had to be considered after family duties. The most important word in the phrase is "thicker", in the north we don't use the word thick just to compare viscosity. To be thick with someone means to be "in cahoots" as in "thick as thieves" or to be tied by some bond, whether family or friendship.
Nice. Good to see another slant on the phrase. And strangely, both make sense and have more than a ring of truth, so take your pick...
But I'll bet you anything that the majority of people using the phrase know of neither origins...!