Three More Pieces of Conventional "Wisdom"

Yesterday, I shared a piece of conventional wisdom and a few examples of why it's wrong. Today, I'd like to share three more pieces of conventional wisdom that have been misinterpreted and/or called into question.

I'm not sure if I can count on that image remaining forever, so I'll say now that Dalekitsune, Consultingmoosecaptain, and Espurr-roba were the originators of the quoted thoughts. I'll correct the punctuation and grammar as well as I can.

"The phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' is actually not the full phrase. It actually is 'curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.'"

I'm not sure how the emotion of satisfaction could bring a creature back to life, but the thought is clear enough. The phrase "curiosity killed the cat" is frequently used to discourage people from asking too many questions, and it's certainly wise to exercise caution, but the extended phrase suggests that, despite the risks involved, we should remain curious about the world around us, continually seeking the answers to life's many questions.

I haven't decided, personally, whether I would promote people to be more curious or more cautious. I think that each person should make that decision themselves.

"Blood is thicker than water. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb."

Talk about changing the meaning of a phrase! "Blood is thicker than water" suggests that family relationships (blood ties) are stronger than the bonds of friendship (which is somehow represented by water). The extended version of the phrase conveys the exact opposite meaning. As Consultingmoosecaptain explained it, "Relationships formed by choice are stronger than those formed by birth."

Once again, I'm not sure how well I agree with that. On one hand, my first reaction to the extended phrase was to think that it sounded like something a gang might say. I could see a group of men gathered in a dark room making some kind of creepy blood oath to work together to do wickedness, like the "secret combinations" we sometimes hear about. On the other hand, the church used animal sacrifices and burnt offerings in covenants in Old Testament times, and converts were encouraged to feel a stronger connection and loyalty to God than to their unbelieving relatives. Still, family ties are, and are supposed to be, very strong. Certainly no mere friendship should be "thicker than the water of the womb." But "the blood of the covenant" symbolizes no mere friendship. Over-all, the feeling I get from this phrase is "choose your friends wisely." Some bonds may or may not be stronger than the bonds of family, but I'd say that others are certainly not.

"Let's not forget that 'Jack of all trades, master of none' ends with 'But better than a master of one.'"

As far as I know, this phrase has always spoken in favor of the "jack of all trades," even without the extension. Still, I'd say that it's fair to remember that the opposite is sometimes true. Yes, in general, being a "jack of all trades" is good in most situations, but sometimes you really need a master of one particular trade. For example, if I were about to go under major spinal or cerebral surgery, I wouldn't want a "jack of all trades" kind of surgeon to be the one to work on me. I would rather have a master of spinal or cerebral surgery do the job. Still, if the zombie apocalypse were to occur and I could only have either the "jack of all trades" doctor or the spinal/cerebral surgery master doctor on my apocalypse-survival team, I'd pick the "jack of all trades" doctor over the "master of one." Being a "master of one (trade)" is situational. If the situation calls for that trade, great. If not, you're better off being a "jack of all trades" instead.

Considering the multiple versions and interpretations of these phrases, I'm not sure how much I trust the wisdom of conventional wisdom. Several of these phrases seem not to be entirely true, at least, not in all cases. I'm grateful that we have better sources of wisdom that's more reliable. The prophets and scriptures may not give advice on all subjects, but they certain;y chime in on many, and the Holy Ghost can help us remember their words, correctly interpret them, and fill in the blanks when our situations require special guidance. Now more than ever, I'm glad that, thanks to revelation, we don't have to rely on the wisdom of the world.