If you show an American an image of a fish tank, the American will usually describe the biggest fish in the tank and what it is doing. If you ask a Chinese person to describe a fish tank, the Chinese will usually describe the context in which the fish swim.
—David Brooks, “Harmony and the Dream,” The New York Times, August 12, 2008
It’s like a tear in the hands of a western man
Tell you about salt, carbon and water
But a tear to an oriental man
He’ll tell you about sadness and sorrow or the love of a man and
a woman.
—Jefferson Starship, “Ride The Tiger,” Dragonfly, 1974
Both sentiments are equally inane, but the Starship version has a good beat and you can kinda maybe dance to it. And it’s got Grace Slick.
And Craig Chaquico! Maybe Brooks should hire a 70s stadium rock guitar hero to score his columns….