What does this mean to you?

[JD GUMBEE]

This is not a joke or a "I got you" thing, just an experiment.

"Love many, trust few. Paddle your own canoe."
^^What does this say to you?^^

Seriously.

 

[travelaround]

It says to me that self-directed independence is a good thing and that there are a lot of people who haven't achieved a state of independence and who will want to latch onto your life and exploit you for their own benefit. You can love them but don't let them take advantage of you.

 

[RoamerRV428]

for me it is follow your own path and not get swept up in the flow and be kind and generous to others but keep only those who truly benefit your life and you love in your inner circle.

 

[geogentry]

"Love many, trust few. Paddle your own canoe."

We should show people caring, understanding, and compassion. Extend trust to those who over time have displayed honesty in their actions and words.
Do not let others dictate how your life should be lived but rather make your own decisions as to which direction to go and how fast you should try to get there.

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk

 

[lenny flank]

Sounds like "I can do whatever I want! As I hunker down in my bunker afraid that people will break in to kill me."

 

[JD GUMBEE]

Lenny...always with the end of the world scenarios.
(Incel-support-group leaving you flat lately?)

 

[Ticklebellly]

"Love many, trust few. Paddle your own canoe."

Seems relevant to discussions of development of Self.   Self as I and self as Me was vaguely described by Freud and developed much further by those who came after.   A similar sentiment is contained in the "Find yourself, know yourself, forget yourself".   Heinz Kohut wrote a whole psychology on the concept of Self Psycho;logy.

The first phrase seems particularly relevant to those who introjected their parent's religious beliefs at an early age.   The Love Many tells you to accept others; their humanity and their views, their beliefs and prejudices.   The trust few says that lots of people have ulterior motives for trying to persuade you to their beliefs and attitudes and the behaviours that go with those beliefs and attitudes.    Mostly, those ulterior motives are to reduce their own anxieties.   The paddle your own canoe is about being guided by your own decisions on things like right and wrong and not living you life as a reaction to the expectations of others.  The paddle your own canoe is also reflected in the first principle of ethical behaviour; do no harm.

It's my experience that not many people paddle their own canoe.

 

[lenny flank]

Incel-support-group leaving you flat lately?)

Meh, I'm almost 60.  I've been flat for years now.

(shrug)

 

[WanderingRose]

Be good hearted and kind, rely on yourself first.

 

[MrNoodly]

I'm more of a love few and trust many paddler of my own canoe. Works for me.

 

[bullfrog]

While loving them don't leave your wallet on the table then leave them before you lose your paddle as well!

 

[Gypsy108]

Have a open heart.. but don't let your brains fall out...be an island unto yourself....

 

[DannyB1954]

My version is be kind to strangers but do not trust them. Pay little attention to others that are happy to tell you what you should be doing. Advice freely given is often worth less than the price paid.

 

[maki2]

wear condoms and stay single????

I prefer being shallow over being deeply philosophical. Life is short and for each of us getting shorter every minute of it so live it rather than always trying to analyze the meaning of it, of everyone and everything. By the time you think you have it figured out it will have passed you by.

 

[JD GUMBEE]

There is a back story to the question.
One of our friends has a daughter who is working her grad project on some study of how the media and popular sentiment, sayings and limericks change their meaning over time and how it affects generations of families and on and on...

(I helped her setup a simple app to take in the data.)

One thing that grabbed my eye was this saying, a favorite of mine from way back.

According to her, most over 40 read "paddle your own canoe" with the self reliant meaning.
The closer you get to high school age, the more she thinks they will see that second line being interpreted as style.

Right away, we hit the self-reliance reference here in this thread.