Don’t be an "Idiot"
May 13th, 2008 by ljkim
I remember I was in one of those moods when I said, “I can’t understand how anyone could think that…” (using my “that’s SO stupid” tone of voice). I don’t remember what it was about, and I wasn’t saying that to Grace, just out loud… And Grace said to me, “You say that as though it was a good thing…that you can’t understand…” Ha! She was right!
Anyway, along that line of thought: I had a Greek professor who came across the word “idios” during class…our little vocabulary list translated the word as “one’s own” (as in one’s own home or one’s own spirit, etc). The professor said this is where we get the word “idiot” – an idiot is someone who knows his side of the argument but not the other side. And he extrapolated that thought into Greek culture a little by saying that the Greeks understood that EVERYONE knows their own side (like New Yorkers, they had strong opinions on everything), but the point of education and wisdom was to know the other side so that you can make an honest choice as to which is better.
Darn Grace and those Ancient Greeks, I don’t understand how anyone can listen to a word they say! 
[About the photo: that's Grace looking like the family cat being harassed by the neighbor's kids... in this case her sister Vicki]
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