APAD: Don't speak ill of the dead

Background:

 

The earliest known use of this expression is in The Lives and Opinions of

Eminent Philosophers written by Digenese Laërtius around 300 AD. In this he

attributes Chilon of Sparta as saying "don't badmouth a dead man." Chilon was

one of the Seven Sages of Greece - a title given by Ancient Greek tradition to

seven 6th century BC philosophers and statesmen who were revered for their

wisdom.

 

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I wonder if Chilon cared to explain why. Is this, like other proverbs, a summary

of wisdom gained through misery and suffering? I doubt it.

 

The philosopher could be full of philanthropy and pissed off by unsavory remarks

toward some deceased person he pitied for no other reason than empathy. The fox

grieved the death of the hare, as the Chinese saying goes.

 

Besides, the dead can't defend themselves and humans despise a freeloader, one

who wins with no skin in the game.

所有跟帖： 

• American Indian's tradition to show gratitude of the animal' -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 09:16:40

• contribution by smearing the prey's blood on the hunter 's -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 09:21:02

• forehead -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 09:21:16

• Another proof of the fittest, not the more moral, survive. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 09:32:57

• a bit of 逝者为大? but it's complicated wrt historical figure -最西边的岛上- ♀ (40 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 09:27:42

• Right. We have to know how bad some can be and learn lessons -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 09:34:32

• Do as you would be done by -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 09:30:19

• Well-balanced. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 09:35:25

• 死者为大 -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 11:35:35

• Yep! -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 11:45:52

• 善恶在我，毁誉由人，盖棺定论，无藉于子孙之乞言耳 -盈盈一笑间- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 14:46:08

• Tho half only I understand, it must be all right! :-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 15:03:36

• ha, maybe only for historical figure. ：） -盈盈一笑间- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 15:11:44

• 想开了，爱咋地咋地 :-)) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/08/2024 postreply 15:28:57