{"id":4050,"date":"2009-04-08T14:47:25","date_gmt":"2009-04-08T18:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/?p=4050"},"modified":"2009-04-08T14:47:25","modified_gmt":"2009-04-08T18:47:25","slug":"the-sound-of-two-words-uh-doing-something","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/2009\/04\/the-sound-of-two-words-uh-doing-something\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sound of Two Words… uh… Doing Something<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Above image is Figure 1-1 from the Chinese-language edition of <\/em>Just XSL,
\none of my tech books. For the translation, see this page<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Recently, I received an email from a friend and distant relative, a trained hypnotherapist, counsellor, and general all-round wellness therapist. (The Missus and I once ordered a couple of self-help CDs from her, one on smoking cessation and one — not coincidentally — on weight loss.)<\/p>\n

The email, obviously distributed to her professional mailing list, describes some steps you can take to calm your fears in jittery times like these. Early on, it includes this passage:<\/p>\n

The Chinese symbol for CRISIS has two parts: one represents danger and the other represents opportunity. It’s a beautiful symbol of how every event in life is really an invitation to practice choice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wow<\/em>, I thought, what a cool thing to know about the Chinese language.<\/em> Just one more example, as if we needed more, of the wisdom of the Orient. I could easily envision dropping this little tidbit into conversations.<\/p>\n

But then I started to wonder: what is<\/em> the “Chinese symbol for CRISIS”? So, unsurprisingly, I turned to the Web. And, unsurprisingly, as with a lot of Web-based research, I found a muddled story:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n