This week, I'll be talking about "Havamal," or a set of wisdom sayings from the Vikings (here's a link to the list of them). Specifically, I'd like to touch on the 21st one from that list:
Cattle know
when to go home,
and then from grazing cease;
but a foolish man
never knows
his stomach’s measure.
Literally, this saying means, "Even cows know when to stop eating grass, but a foolish man never knows when his stomach is full," which is kind of ironic considering that I'm currently eating my 3rd croissant today (just in time for bikini season!). However, I like to think of it a little more figuratively; perhaps it means that a foolish man is too overindulgent and doesn't know when he's reached his limit, whether that's in relation to food, money, or any other thing.
Personally, I really do relate to this saying, especially as a procrastinator suffering from a serious bout of "senioritis." I often find myself spending hours watching pointless YouTube videos or reading novels or doing literally anything to avoid the pile of financial aid applications and homework on my desk. Of course, relaxing and having fun is healthy in moderation, but I've noticed that overdoing it can lead to terrible consequences (read: staying up till 3 AM the night before a physics test).
In a way, this can also be seen in William Shakespeare's play Othello, which we've just finished reading in my English class. Interesting enough, both the protagonist and the villain -- Iago and Othello -- need to hear this saying. For example, although Othello would have been definitely justified in getting angry at his wife if she had cheated on him (and surprise, she didn't!), murdering Desdemona without even stopping to ask her for an explanation took it too far. Even if he did believe killing her was "morally right" because he was saving her future lovers from her infidelity (/rolls eyes/), he didn't understand the reasonable limitations to his actions. Similarly, Iago also took his revenge plan to an extreme. Sure, he did promise to destroy Othello's wife, but coming up with a plot that led to the death of Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Roderigo? Yeah, that's a little harsh. In the end, Iago's obsession with going to the extreme brought along his downfall; if he hadn't encouraged Othello to kill Desdemona, then Emilia might have not blurted out his crimes and he could have gotten away scot-free. Sucks for you, Iago.
Looking through all of these wisdom sayings was pretty interesting; it's amazing how something said hundreds and hundreds of years ago could be so applicable today.
Personally, I really do relate to this saying, especially as a procrastinator suffering from a serious bout of "senioritis." I often find myself spending hours watching pointless YouTube videos or reading novels or doing literally anything to avoid the pile of financial aid applications and homework on my desk. Of course, relaxing and having fun is healthy in moderation, but I've noticed that overdoing it can lead to terrible consequences (read: staying up till 3 AM the night before a physics test).
In a way, this can also be seen in William Shakespeare's play Othello, which we've just finished reading in my English class. Interesting enough, both the protagonist and the villain -- Iago and Othello -- need to hear this saying. For example, although Othello would have been definitely justified in getting angry at his wife if she had cheated on him (and surprise, she didn't!), murdering Desdemona without even stopping to ask her for an explanation took it too far. Even if he did believe killing her was "morally right" because he was saving her future lovers from her infidelity (/rolls eyes/), he didn't understand the reasonable limitations to his actions. Similarly, Iago also took his revenge plan to an extreme. Sure, he did promise to destroy Othello's wife, but coming up with a plot that led to the death of Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Roderigo? Yeah, that's a little harsh. In the end, Iago's obsession with going to the extreme brought along his downfall; if he hadn't encouraged Othello to kill Desdemona, then Emilia might have not blurted out his crimes and he could have gotten away scot-free. Sucks for you, Iago.
Looking through all of these wisdom sayings was pretty interesting; it's amazing how something said hundreds and hundreds of years ago could be so applicable today.