Zen Story: Objectivity and SubjectivityI’m not sure whether this is really a Zen story (okay, it’s a Taoist and
Confucian story), but it has continued to grow on me over the years, especially
when I’ve questioned, surely foolishly, whether another poet can write
authentically about particular subjects that I would have difficulty writing
about. This story is a reminder about perspective and the difficulty of
defining objectivity and subjectivity. Surely, if nothing else, certain
subjects ring clearly with poetic truth.
Chuang Tzu, a popular Taoist,
was strolling across a bridge with Hui Tzu, the Confucian, when he observed, “Look how the minnows dart
hither and thither at will. Such is the pleasure fish enjoy.”
“You are not a fish,” responded
Hui Tzu. “How do you know what gives pleasure to fish?”
“You are not I,” said
Chuang Tzu. “How do you know I do not know what gives pleasure to fish?”
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