Anyone realize that you can “teach a man to fish” AND give a man a fish? Or that it’s harder to learn when you’re starving?
These aren’t mutually exclusive needs. One is immediate, the other structural.
It’s a poor trick to point to one as an excuse not to fulfill the other.
These aren’t mutually exclusive needs. One is immediate, the other structural.
It’s a poor trick to point to one as an excuse not to fulfill the other.
https://twitter.com/kyroduff/status/1415953335430037515
I’ve noticed that those who treat this as either/or often don’t want to attend to the immediate need OR the structural one.
Affordable college? No.
Forgive student debt? No.
Address systemic injustice? No.
They don’t want to teach fishing. They’ll restrict access to the river.
Affordable college? No.
Forgive student debt? No.
Address systemic injustice? No.
They don’t want to teach fishing. They’ll restrict access to the river.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
The saying doesn’t end with “so don’t give hungry men fish.” In fact, it demonstrates how an immediate need draws attention to a structural one.
The saying doesn’t end with “so don’t give hungry men fish.” In fact, it demonstrates how an immediate need draws attention to a structural one.
So sure, let's "teach a man to fish." Break up the commercial fishing monopolies overfishing the waters. Subsidize easily affordable fish schools. Offer no interest loans on boats and gear backed w/government collateral.
No? Oh you just meant don't feed the hungry guy? Cool.
No? Oh you just meant don't feed the hungry guy? Cool.
I actually think we should start with all the "teach a man to fish" stuff immediately. Let's address structural injustices.
We should have started long ago—there'd be less hungry men to feed. But let's start today. The earlier the better.
Because a stitch in time saves nine.
We should have started long ago—there'd be less hungry men to feed. But let's start today. The earlier the better.
Because a stitch in time saves nine.
Feels like there's a longer essay in this trend of taking famous aphorisms and deliberately subverting their meanings to opposite ends. Like how "a few bad apples spoil the barrel" got shortened to "a few bad apples" and is now used as a rationale to ignore police corruption.
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