Again: live by example

Posted by ESC on December 09, 2003

In Reply to: Again: live by example posted by sphinx on December 09, 2003

: We say live by one's hands, by fishing, farming... but never by example! See the original text?

If his writing has changed millions of people's lives, then his personality has proved equally influential.

"His great love and service to his country and its people always meant he was thinking about what he could do for them," said Bing Xin, a well-known writer.

Ba live by example. (This should be "lives by example.") He is one of the few writers in China who has never lived on government pay, saying he didn't want to earn fame or money from his books. "I'm like a silkworm," he once said. "As long as I have leaves of mulberry to eat, I must produce silk to make the world warmer."

"Live by example" means a person's actions, daily life, reflect his or her beliefs. "Example," in this case, means: an example for imitation or emulation. (Merriam-Webster online.) He is showing others how they should live -- giving them an example to follow.

If you want a child to grow up a good citizen, you must be one also. Live by example.

Ba said he didn't want money from his books so he refused pay from the government. His needs were few - like a silkworm that eats leaves and produces silk to warm the world.