Main piece:

One smart person will always lose to ten dumb people.

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

I would always run into problems with other people during middle school, like group projects or clubs, and I would talk to my dad about these problems. Ultimately he was like “It doesn’t matter if you’re right, ten dumb people will outnumber you anyways.” It’s like, if you’re in a situation you can’t win, just surrender. No need in wasting time, just follow along until they’re wrong and you just speak up again. The smart person will prevail in the end, however long that may be.

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

Definitely in private. If someone is consulting you about some problems. It’s like a consolation technique, if you want to console someone. I wouldn’t say this to a stupid person. It would be someone having difficulties… It’s a comforting thing. It’s like “Don’t worry so much about it, it is what it is.”

Personal Analysis:

When I heard this proverb, a smile came to my face. Finally, something I have personally felt could be explained in a succinct phrase. The informant is very ambitious- I have never seen him lose an election or fail to get a position in a club. That’s not to say he never has, though. With group projects so prevalent in high school, I have also felt the frustration of carrying a team of students who seemingly did not know what to do.

Main piece:

Wasting time shortens potential.

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

It was like a motivational thing that my dad would tell me a lot. Not just school, but in sports too. In sports it was huge for me. I learned it from my dad, from a very young age. I would say like six or seven. He would say it to me after hockey games. It was the idea that practice is allocated time and it doesn’t go to waste. It’s a motivational, positive thing. Learn from your mistakes and don’t waste your time feeling sad about it. It’s a very future oriented saying. It’s about moving on, really.

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

Mostly after major events, like milestones. Also sometimes little events, every hockey event or every track meet. It’s mostly a negative thing. It’s said during negative time for positive reinforcement. Positive connotation used in a negative context. I still hear it to this day. Six years old to nineteen. My dad will say it over the phone. And again, it’s not just academic. Sometimes it’ll relate to relationships, like girls, or activities.

Personal Analysis:

This piece is rather interesting, because it is a positive statement used in negative situations. It took a relatively long time for me to actually understand what the informant meant when he explained the implications. In reality, I’m not quite sure if he could have explained it to me in a way that I would have completely understood, but maybe that’s one of the intricacies of folklore. I understand this piece in a way that may be different that the informant simply because I am not of his culture.

Main piece:

Every grain of rice you don’t eat will become a pimple the next day.

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

I was reminded every day until I was like eight or nine and then it continued to today, but not as often. Maybe once every four or five meals. I learned it from my dad. It goes back in terms of tradition for not wasting food. Its really pointed at younger people who are obviously more conscious about their appearance.

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

Dinner. Not lunch, only dinner. I guess I never had rice for lunch. But, I suppose any meal with rice would apply. Especially family meal times. Even if I just went with my dad to dinner- it’s mostly at home.

Personal Analysis:

This piece is almost exclusively directed at children and molding their behavior. In American culture, a similar saying would be, “Eat your food, there are starving children in Africa who aren’t as fortunate to have a good meal.” The informant mentions that the saying is directed at adolescents because they care more about their appearance, but I think the underlying reason is because that age range is generally more prone to acne than any other. Also, that age range tends to be more moody and retaliatory than any other. They might need an extra incentive –say, a clear face– to listen to their parents and finish their dinners.  

Main piece:

Whistling at night summons the ghosts.

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

I was always musically inclined, so I would always whistle at night, and I would always get the reminder from my grandma. They use it in a lot of Asian movies. So every time I guess I watch some of those movies, I would be reminded of my grandma or vice versa. I’m now very self conscious of whistling at night, even today.

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

I remember when I was in Taiwan once, I was whistling in an elevator at night, and two elderly women who I didn’t even know told me. It’s kind of a universal thing, everyone knows it. It tends to be among older people though.

Personal Analysis:

This warning seems like an attempt to soothe the rambunctious behavior of younger children. Easily swayed by the threat of a ghost, kids may stop their unwelcome behavior of whistling late at night. The informant mentioned that members of older generations are more likely to bring up this proverb. They may have been a child when Taiwan was a more dangerous place, and police may not have existed in small villages. Not only is it rather loud and obnoxious, whistling may also call attention to a child and increase the chances of a kidnapping to occur.