I feel stupid for even asking, but what does Gold Fish symbolize?

Maxi

A magic fish that would make all of somebody's dreams come true, the last one being that the fish be a servant of that person. ( I guess you can spell it either way, Gold Fish and Goldfish, I saw both versions, but I prefer Gold Fish for the magic one as opposed to the species)

home.freeuk.net/russica4/books/goldfish/gfish.html

Thanks, Liliana.  At least I know what Gold Fish means.

Maxi

Originally written by Liliana Boladz-Nekipelov on June 15, 2009 11:31 AM A magic fish that would make all of somebody's dreams come true, the last one being that the fish be a servant of that person.

And the last one leaving the person with nothing at all.

How does the idea of a magic fish that grants wishes relate to the idea of loving (respecting) one's neighbour as much as oneself?

Maxi

Fishful thinking?

Originally written by Maxi Schwarz-Bastami on June 15, 2009 2:35 PM How does the idea of a magic fish that grants wishes relate to the idea of loving (respecting) one's neighbour as much as oneself? Maxi

Very simple: if you help certain people too much, they think they they can control you.

There is a proverb, if you give a hand they will take your arm (some of the people, and sharks, I guess)

This is getting increasingly difficult to follow.  First we were talking about "Love thy neighbour as thyself."  That is a healthy attitude which begins by appreciating your own makeup and then doing the same for others.  Now we've moved on to doing things for others or giving things.  Ok, maybe that explains the big fish.  But on this changed topic of generosity, that's not how people behave.  Nor does it make much sense that they should want to. 

Maxi

Originally written by Maxi Schwarz-Bastami on June 15, 2009 5:02 PM ...what does Gold Fish symbolize?

I have no idea. I was just playing along for a little diversion, 'fishfully' thinking that we would soon return to the matter at hand, but it seems not, so here are two excerpts from stories about magic lamps. The first story you all know while the second one ... well. It's clearly commercial although I suppose that while explaining how to make all your wishes come through by knowing how to properly set goals one would reach a point where the neighbour and his wishes would have the power to touch one's heart - eventually. Wall Street power players excepted.

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"There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's tears and prayers, Aladdin did not mend his ways. One day, when he was playing in the streets as usual, a stranger asked him his age, and if he was not the son of Mustapha the tailor. "I am, sir," replied Aladdin; "but he died a long while ago." On this the stranger, who was a famous African magician, fell on his neck and kissed him saying: "I am your uncle, and knew you from your likeness to my brother. Go to your mother and tell her I am coming." Aladdin ran home and told his mother of his newly found uncle. "Indeed, child," she said, "your father had a brother, but I always thought he was dead." However, she prepared supper, and bade Aladdin seek his uncle, who came laden with wine and fruit. He fell down and kissed the place where Mustapha used to sit, bidding Aladdin's mother not to be surprised at not having seen him before, as he had been forty years out of the country…

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp: http://www.wattpad.com/4736-Aladdin-and-the-Magic-Lamp

"The Magic Lamp is the first goal-setting guide for people who hate setting goals. Goals can take you anywhere you want to go, but they rarely give you the inspiration you need to get there. Wishes are different. They have emotional impact. They give you the freedom to dream and the power to make your dreams come true.

The Magic Lamp transforms the process of setting goals from a dull routine into an exciting adventure because it's the first book to combine the methods of goal setting with the magic of making your wishes come true. …"

The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals: http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Lamp-Setting-People-Goals/dp/060980166X

Originally written by Maxi Schwarz-Bastami on June 15, 2009 7:34 PM This is getting increasingly difficult to follow.  First we were talking about "Love thy neighbour as thyself."  That is a healthy attitude which begins by appreciating your own makeup and then doing the same for others.  Now we've moved on to doing things for others or giving things.  Ok, maybe that explains the big fish.  But on this changed topic of generosity, that's not how people behave.  Nor does it make much sense that they should want to.  Maxi

Doesn't love involve giving: in the Christian sense it definitely does, maybe not according to the modern so called Christian morality where parents sue their children for $300 in court.

Christian love is not just saying that it is ok that some people live this kind of life or that, but it involves this kind of respect that you have to give somebody something if they are in need. What I meant is that this may turn sometimes to you becoming a Gold Fish, if you do not know how to balance the principles of Christ teaching with controlling your actions not to be manipulated by other people. I have one example, I was helping somebody with some translations, a person who should not even be doing any translations into English, not a professional translator. I helped her with one relatively simply translation. After a while my cellular phone was ringing almost all the time, in court, on the train with questions how to translate certain phrases. The last document the person was working on was a very serious legal document related to transfer of real estate property in Poland. Even I  would have to check certain laws and speak to a Polish lawyer not to make certain mistakes which would result in the heir losing the right to the apartment. When I told her, I could not help her any more because the text was too complicated for her, her office charged me for some things, small favours, like sending me two clients for some half hour interpreting jobs. One of them even did not show up. The office had turned into my enemy within a second. I do not know if this is a good example, but this is more or less what I mean. I did not do it out of any Christian, or charitable motives, just to help somebody and make them progress in their translation career, not to put them down by saying that their skills were not good enough to translate. I almost won an enemy. But still you have to help people, on the case to case basis.