There is a very known saying - that goes back to the Ancient times - that states that the people only need, in order to be happy, to have “bread and circus”.
Do you think this still applies today?
There is a very known saying - that goes back to the Ancient times - that states that the people only need, in order to be happy, to have “bread and circus”.
Do you think this still applies today?
I think you reffered to that we only need to have food and to have fun, is that right ??
If it applies today …. hmmm … we need food, and we need to have fun, but is it only this we need?
I´m not so sure.
I also think that we need to connect to each other, build bridges. To see that we are not alone with our thoughts and believes.
We need to se us self as a part of this earth ..and not seperated from it. A peace of the puzzle :-)
Love Jessica
Yes. Bread and circus. Nourishment and creativity. I use both as I teach my children to have the courage to speak the truth and the tenacity to pursue it.
I believe that this saying can be a phrase of a king…a king wants his kingdom to be happy, so all people need is bread and circus ( food and entertainment)..and so if they are happy they wont rebel..
I dont think this is the case
I think mostly what people need is love…the water of the soul..
I m sorry i have to repeat myself..but i love this part..
“Man need not always live by bread alone.There us something else.We do not know yet what it is; but some day we ll find out ; and then we will live on that alone; and there shall be no more digging nor spinning, nor fighting nor killing.” - Eve (In the Garden Of Eden) - George Bernard Shaw..
I believe this is called Love…
Love and Graditude
Annie
no i don`t think that saying applies in todays times as in todays world bread and circus is very basic.happiness is very abstract it varies from people as per thier mental levels.for some small things give them happiness like rainy day ,or a lovely sunset and for some money jewels etc.so in order to be happy todays man requires lot of things beside bread and circus
Definitely still applies to the masses. Television and abundant food are like drugs. A fat and happy cat has no need to chase the mouse.
Forgive me for saying this; In Ireland ‘bread and circus’ means ‘bread and alcohol beverages’, at least for the male population. Allow me to present an unusual story, but one which happened to me, and I feel very blessed having it as part of my treasured memories.
I had a friend, a catholic priest, for many years. One Sunday we were invited to the mother house of the order this priest belonged to. You can imagine, a bunch of men living together, kind of without too much decorations, or any female touch to the place. Well, they have given a vow of poverty anyway, and mostly had religious items in their home.
We were invited for dinner. Now, the Irish in general are known for appreciating their Guinness. These holy men not only appreciated Guinness, they drank hard core liquor, and on Sundays, they would start before dinner, with happy hour in the living room, before the food was being served.
I kept a “poker face”, pretending this was an ordinary experience for me, but in fact inside myself, I felt almost shocked from what I saw, and felt like laughing out loud. In the middle of the living room, was a rather small coffee table. It was “packed” with liquor bottles, absolutely packed. Anything a mans heart could desire, Whiskeys, Vodka, Gin, you name it. And they all could serve themselves with what they wanted. I remember thinking, this is how men really want it? Anyway, they were polite, and got me a Sherry or something like that, suitable for a woman.
So, dinner was being served. A lovely table set for the group of about twelve men, and me. As we had all sat down, and the atmosphere was pretty jolly, after the alcohol and lively conversations, suddenly the prior asked me to, since I was the guest, to say a grace before the meal. I was flabbergasted, didn’t want to make a big mistake here, in front of all these holy men.
In a split second, I remembered the song; This is the day, and I started out singing. Right away, they all joined in and we all sang; This is the day that the Lord has made. For me the situation was hilarious, hearing these rather mature men, singing out loud this kind of childish song. It was the only one I knew in English. That moment, I felt extremely happy, almost to the point of ecstasy.
yes
Hello out there,
I don’t think that this can still be used in our world. We do have bread and circus, but yet are so many people still unhappy. The world has changed and so have our needs.
Bread and circus has become a tool. Many people with a lot of power use it to controle. They try to controle us with it, tell us that everything is okey as long as we have enough food and entertainment. But there is more to the world than that. I don’t want to say that we need much more than that, but what makes us human is the fact that we feel love. That is what makes us happy and all that together you can say, that is all we need.
Love and respect
Marcel
To some it might. Here in the Philippines, there’s a phrase- “mababaw ang kaligayahan” which means you are contented with simple things. So I think there are still some who can be contented with basic neccessities and a little fun. But,as human kind invent and improve our needs and wants also increase, like technology. My teacher once told us in class the humans just can’t be satisfied and mabe that’s true. It all depends on the person…
-Angeline
It is not what people “need” - it is what is sufficient for them to keep them busy and not to think about their life. It is what the ruler need to provide to assure that the people will not uprise against them.
And, yes, it still applies today. The only difference is that “circus” means soccer game.
Yes. This still applies today. If one can only focus on the simple joys in life then one surely will easily find contentment with the blessings that he has. To have bread and be able to have fun as the circus is a simple yet difficult thing to achieve because of the complexity of people.
The people also need magic. The bread is the physical need, the circus is the social need…and then they must have the “umph”…which is the mystery of life.
I dont think this applies these days cuz we have encountered a drastic change of new living standards in this era.
tats all i believe!
Dear Mr.Coelho,
i suppose that unfortunately in the modern era, we have the wrong estimations on what is considered sacrilege, many people want it…!! We are all very conservative when it comes to our life’s bread. Nevertheless life has shown to me that it is the spirit of the warrior that will make the miracles come true. What you may assume sacrilege may be the nature or the quality of peoples’ work, when this happen! But when this happen, this is not the bread’s taste, or sitting peacefully to eat your food and be happy. This is braveness. Unfortunately there may be pressures to people and this is what has to be decreased. And that’s why they may request the sacrilege. People desire the free and peaceful air. If there is anything that can be accomplished by working, this is satisfaction and accomplishments that cannot be measured differently.
It will be the experience that will make you fly and get the air! You have to act and behave this way, where it is the place to do so. We can not put all eggs in the same basket. Have a nice day!!
yes, I absolutely agree with you, I am working on it too, check out my site to learn more, thanks.
“I wanted to sing
My sunlit song
I raised the sails to the wind
I set free the tigers and lions in the yard
But the people in the dining room
Are occupied with being born and with dying
I demanded that a dagger of pure shining steel be made
To kill my love, and I did it
At five o’clock on Central Avenue
But the people in the dining room
Are occupied with being born and with dying
I demanded that leaves
Of dreams be planted in the sunlit garden
The leaves know how to seek the sun
And the roots seek and seek
But the people in the dining room
These people in the dining room
Are the people in the dining room
But the people in the dining room
Are occupied with being born and with dying
These people in the dining room
The people”
“Nem só de pão viverá o homem, mas de toda a palavra que sai da boca de Deus”, assim disse o profeta…
I don’t think that is what people need, I know that is what they seek, food and entertainment, work to pay for it, at least the masses.
There is a growing number of people though and I include myself in this group, in which this is not enough to be happy, we want the connection with the Light, we long for it, we work for it, we live for it!!!
Apart if we would like it or not, but it stil applies today as in time of Romans Colosseum Games.
Today it is TV, football, Olimpics, soap operas…to keep people in false state of happiness, to keep their minds away from burning problems, unefficient authorities, corrupted goverments….
Luce
all you need is love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLxTpsIVzzo&feature=related
Of course. ‘Bread’ is self-explanatory - but ‘circus’ is another matter altogether. What defines one’s own ‘circus’ is what drives them, or, unfortunately, what entertains/distracts them. Isn’t entertainment a form of distraction? Isn’t distraction a root of evil, in some manner? I think my point is that ‘circus’ is is a focal point of life - not just now, but even in ancient times. Example: the majority of use of the web if for gossip or, shall I say, useless pursuits. ‘Circus’ may be whatever keeps a person from being productive - whether in the 21st century or in ancient times - meaning, time spent pursuing events that haven’t a positive impact on one’s time spent.
Dear Rasta Sufi,
cool that you gave the translation of the music “Panis et Circence” of the mythical Brazilian group Os Mutantes !!!!
here’s the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2EKghlmIyQ
Love
Paulinha
I cant eat bread, i have keliakia, instead i eat rice. Circus i dont like, real life is much more interesting, with all the nyances and synchronicity it brings. Learning something new every day, important things, about life, nature, behaving, trying to emancipate mind from mental slavery, trying to think free like a little child, cleaning mind about everything they said it´s like this, but it´s not.
There is a wonderful book which I am very interested in to get my hands on and read called “Living the good life” the secret is revealed in the Nearings! here are some tips for living a stress free life -from Helens memoir- Loving and leaving the Good life -
Do the best you can .
Be at peace with yourself.
Find a job you enjoy.
Live in simple conditions -housing ,food ,clothing,get rid of clutter.
contact nature everyday,feel the earth under your feet.
Take physical exercise everyday through hard work ,gardening or walking..
don’t worry live one day at a time .
share something everyday with some one else,if alone write or give something away ,help someone else somehow ..
Take time to wonder at life ,the world see humor in life when you can .
Observe the one life in all things .
Be kind to the creatures ..
I think this is all great advice and help myself to improve ones happiness -but also you should seek to find your true reflection - a soul that can love /share all the things you do - Blessings Tania
Dear Paulo,
We need bread to survive and circus will keep us distracted. However, we need to feel loved to be happy.
Much Love!
Ushani
Dear Mr. Coelho,
In Benidorm (Spain) where I (from the Netherlands) was a few days last week, yes, there I assume all is about bread and circus: (fast) food and entertainment everywhere. Everything there seemed to be aimed at being anonimous in an extremely loudly way. Fortunately I brought your book ‘Brida’ with me and managed to find time and a quiet place to read. Thank you.
Love,
Marja
Well the regular person only needs food and service, but we that know God, know that we also need Him. Like they say “no man is an Island”, well we also need to be in contact with other and more importantly with God (Mr. Coelho I’m not sure if you even read these, but I’ve been trying to contact you…).
Can you believe we need food?…sustinence…?…duh! And Circus? Well we need al that life offers us in experience, but isn’t it odd that a thousand years ago it was spoken and written that ‘Man cannot live by bread alone”…what else would he need? “but by the ‘word of GOD’. Now if there is NO God, then we need only bread and yet we seem to know that would never be enough. So, define Circus. We need experiences to define that we live. So, a place without God’s Word would be….well, HELL….a place where we are alone without relationship and experience…. I wonder if anyone in Solitary Confinement…real confinement…you know the old box in the ground without water and light and people would be a place of bliss. Imagine there is nothing….nothing but you and your thoughts…no light, world, sounds…etc. I guess we need more than food!
Hi Chelho,
In ancient days the man kind was completely depends on direct nature sources and the aim and necessity of man was food and shelter, So who strived for that.
But present progress age of our invention in all the fields made human to give importance for so many things which actually not necessary and it is causing mental imbalance at some point. and this virtual reprasentation of nature in front of nature will end phycologically.
and the saying - that goes back to the Ancient times holds today, tomorrow and forever.
– Pradeep
Well, the Romans learned how to contain “the mob” or the masses with panem et circenses…and I believe the same rule of thumb still applies today. People may not see it, because their wits are often clouded by the glamor or the grime of Life, but it is there…
Often, people will ask me to tell them if I enjoyed my time in the Marine Corps or whether I hated it…I say this: I can’t say I liked it or not, because that would be a cut and dry answer…and it wouldn’t apply to any given week or any particular period, because life on the inside was measured by days…some good…some bad… When I tell them how we managed to cope with life away from home…I simply said: We worked hard and played hard…and in return we were offered 3 “free” meals and enough money to buy the alcohol that took our mind off everything in between…
I guess they Romans knew what they were talking about…
~Bobby Ozuna
Drawing Stories…With Words
A Circus is also a round-a-bout, perhaps “Life’s Cycle or Circle” & it is at the same time, a path… on which we find the food for our spiritual nourishment & energy to reach the light… perhaps…?
Love & complete life’s circle, Paul
Without thinking?
Without sunshine?
Without love?
In my oppinion it still does apply. But we should not forget that “happieness is not the goal”.
But for many the question still remains: What is happiness? Is it “like a Sunday afternoon – something finally quite boring”? Or is it the meaning of life?
HEART – Thank you for sharing that wonderful experience. Each moment of our life we should strive to rejoice and sing, “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it”.
with bread, hunger is won over, a hungry man cannot be happy, and circus keeps him occupied. circus is more than ever now a days, mass media.
but to be happy, one needs to get a little deeper, what is happiness, happiness is living with contentment, living in creativity, happiness is finding a purpouse worthy of oneself and then devoting oneself to it.
excessive ‘circus’ is sure to bore the people, make them unhappy, something like what happned to buddha when he was still a prince.
a man who is happy with bread and circus is not yet a man.
love
aditya
PS : heart has mentioned something about alcohol, let’s include all intoxicants here; a man may need to make judicious use of intoxicants, initially, to free oneself from clutches of one’s prejudices, but I don’t underatdn this obsession with them, why do men love to take their mind off ‘everything’?
” άρτος και θεάματα” (greek version of the proverb). Θεάματα = spectacles of various types.
This was the main philosophy of Roman Empire in order to keep the masses away from revolting. In order to establish their power and legitimaze violence, they provide people circus with lions killing Christians and gladiators killing themselves. I will never understand what kind of low insticts of spectators those violent actions satisfied. This kind of attitude really terrifies me. How can you applaud this kind of things?
Today, spectacles, are of course mass media, which throw people off meditating about serious things and take action and solve serious society problems .
The concern to survive and the willingness to be mislead by spectacles which entertaine and enervate them are today’s ” άρτος και θεάματα” .
Sounds a bit boring. How about some challenges? And wine. Oh, and love love love… :)
I think some people will agree that all they need to be happy is bread and circus, and since they really believe this, they are happy. But, I also think an increasing number of people (like those who are touched by your work, Paulo) are redefing happiness in such a way that bread and circus is not enough. And once you realize that there is more, you need more to be happy.
We are “waking up” and realizing that happiness can go so much deeper and can last so much longer if the happiness we experience is not the result of drug enduced highs or basic distractions. The highs you get from connecting to the unversal energy of love, magic or whatever you call it, is so much more powerful and lasting. I don’t need or want to numb myself, at least not anymore. And, though I do enjoy fun times with family, friend and wine, I now know that there is more. I need to find myself and waken myself to the beauty, the wonder and the love that is in everything around me. I find that I am not happen when I get distracted. So I slow myself down enough to smell the roses… and then I am happy.
Thank you all. [Dokisisofi you gave me the answer in Greek, being a greek -cypriot, as well.]
In ancient Greece the entertainment was the theater [drama and comedy].
As you say above,this was the main philosophy of Roman Empire. The circus’ showing a decline of ethics and morals.
I think that the phrase means ‘lack of spirituality’.
LOVE,
Thelma
To me, happiness has a lot more to do with an ATTITUDE than a state or emotion. We can choose to smile and see the light, see the opportunities and the lessons we can learn (and trust me I have learned this the hardest way) from everything and everyone we encounter in life. I step inside my secret garden deep in my heart, find the peace and voila I am happy. But of course our most essential needs have to be met…
How about chocolate cake and a life committed to celebrating God? We all know how to keep ourselves occupied with games. Even my head is a circus. But at the end of the day these are all just distractions. The things that satiate me are the things that require my surrender, my devotion, and often inspire my fear.
It’s complicated to say, but we must respect the opinion of ancient people.In my case Happiness means many things, but most of all it meanns love and understanding,even without bread and circus:).
Irina
I think this saying is addressing the core needs of humanity where all other needs would be fulfilled through. Bread, food for the body, and circus (joy), food for the soul. I would replace circus with dance though… maybe even in a community.
Hi,
in order to be happy we need to feel love, in such a materialistic world that we are living in, not entertainment,and not food are the source of happiness,but it is love, whether passionate love, or love of our family and friends, even the love of the country, but definitely it is love, the food of the soul.
LOVE,
Manar
Yes. We need to eat and we need to laugh to be happy. So don’t forget to eat and don’t forget to smile today.
Hugs,
Bea.
Bread and circus is a very basic food that fils the stomac and the brain. One can survive on them but he/she will be very poor. In order to be satisfied one needs more. Now there is always too much, I guess… Both for the body and for the spirit. One can be overhelmed. It is important to have good ingredients but also a good digestive system… And feeding and digesting, both phisically and spiritualy, is a feed-back mechanism. This is where the education plays a huge role, although it does not define a personality…
Throwing some bread to the animals living in a cage caused by the circus…seems that we still need this in order to be happy…
Love
All Ways
Hildegarde
Yes, this applies absolutely for the masses on this earth who are distracted by materialism (bread and circus) and daily routine. But people often forget spiritualism and high values.
“Bread and circus” can make us happy or do we have to find out happiness in some other things. Do we know how much one has to work to earn a bread ? Do you know how much joy one has to fill to dance or see the circus?
Happiness is satisfaction. It is the feelings which comes automatically for a certain period of time and again fades away. The bread and butter is needed to keep yourself fit and fine. You will eat and you will survive.
There are different ways to figure out what ways you will earn a bread or go to visit the circus. One can apply many approach to visit to the circus and then again it depends on those event that will make you successful to earn the bread.
A heart full of wish for the love is the heart which is happy. It does not have to be demanding. Bread and circus still can bring loads of joy and happiness in one’s life if you are satisfied with your every event or activity.
Once a person is satisfied with every day activity he/she can really feel that “happiness” which was asked in the question. It does not allow those who are in search of happiness to get the real happiness. It is because, those who want will never get and those who do not want gets.
Humans today are searching and they are moving very fast. Every body wants to achieve all there dreams and fulfill there desire in quick succession. Nothing comes automatically and one has to understand that it is not easy to get the desire of their wish in quick time.
One has to wait till the final output really shows up. How can a person be satisfied with only the bread and circus when he does not know what is real satisfaction.
In my case, I would be fully satisfied if some one would give me a bread and circus not only today but for ever and ever. It is because I do not have any desires to achieve big but desires to find satisfaction in smaller things.
I think the question of needs is no longer applicable to the way Americans consume goods. Humans do need “bread and circus”, yes, but in a society clamoring for more (in example of the way we shop, the purchases we most commonly make, the places we frequent, etc) the idea of existing only for what we need is almost non-existent. I may be misinterpreting your question, but in regards to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a chasm has formed between those whose basic needs are fulfilled and those who scramble to fulfill them. Those who have enough, buy more than what is needed because they are able (or their credit is able). They bypass the idea of existing on “bread and circus” since they surpass the requirements for “enough” since they can afford more thereby planting them on the top of Maslow’s little pyramid. The others, however, barely scamble to be at the bottom, eating what and when they can.
Sorry for rambling.
There are likely many levels of desire, “Bread and Circus” - are survival needs. These are the needs of ancient times. We hope we will not ever have to suffer from the lack of food. “Circus” is as well a survival need, as it consumes our mind so we do not have to think for ourselves. It is our choice, and at times we do not want to think…we can’t, there is no energy. So, we use entertainment to destruct our mind, we use drugs, alcohol, self hypnosis to alleviate the pain…But I believe society today is ready for taking the next step. The evidence is in the high level of anxiety and stress regardless of the fact that all the basic needs of life are met. Within this next step we need to dream, to want…with passion to pursue our dreams in search of meaning…of our true purpose. That is not always easy, but brings incredible pleasure as we reach a short moment of joy…before we realize our next desire…and that is GOOD…the ups and downs of life are a process, not a fight. So, today for me to feel complete, I need to know the “gap”- the missing, the dream, the goal to strive, to fall, to love…thank you
I think that most important today is the circus, people can let behind the bread just to be part of a show that doesn’t really needs to be part of.
Yes, that’s all we need.
I have at home a family picture where my sister and two kids are watching (probably a clown) in a circus. Their faces are pure happiness, full of innocence and joy.
So, the kind of feeling that they had, if we could have this in our life every day, if we could live like that forever. That’s what I think about circus, and food, yes, we need to eat and drink to survive and be health.
I don’t really know anyone who could live like that, who could keep that feeling much longer than 5 minutes in a circus or whatever, out of the real not very nice world.
Expectations! If you manage it well, then you can basically be happy with anything in your life!
Well, Bread and Circuses is a saying refering to the act of choosing food and fun, over freedom.
With respect to that in the modern context, I guess there is still a tint of relevance.
Freedom is a subjective term but then again, this saying lands a questionable debate. Would you have freedom over Food and fun? Or would you chase after your survival instincts and opt for food and fun?
I’m sure most (if not all) of us humans, need food and fun as well as freedom. As with reference to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we see Maslow’s formulated diagram of an average human’s needs and wants, filled in with its level of importance.
Certainly, with the level of advancement that is evident in the society today, the debate of Bread and Circusus is still very much in contention.
Cheers,
Kenji
Have you ever heard or read this bible passage??
“If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians Chapter 13
Yes… All we need is love!!! Love to either eat or feed, love to either have or give some fun!!
Love to you all!!
Elisa
Hi,
First thing we need is health
Then we need to breathe
Then we need to drink
Then we need bread
Then we need to be happy
Only circus does’nt make us happy
I need love to be happy.
Wish you love.
We need to nourish mind, body and spirit. The circus nourishes the mind, bread nourishes the body and love nourishes the spirit. You can be happy with just love and a bit of the other two to keep you going.
what fill our hunger and make us laugh that is nothing comparing with what we need because imagine your day depending on eating and laughing, we need to feel hunger and sorrow to appreciate eating and laughing.
I think that however many people “surrender” to an easy life and refuse to fight for their dreams.
it was what happened in my country since a few time ago.
Oil crisis,and the general crisis of economy has made a little revolution. People start to be aware of the damages for the weather (that has changed) and for for their pocket too, and they stareted to think and act in a less superficial way.
Everithing in this world has a negative and a positive aspetc. So I think this is the positive aspect of the oil crisis: people have gronw up and behave in a more conscious and responsible way; they seeem to be no more interested only in “easy life” but also in their dreams. Have a nice day.
Sim! Infelizmente estão todos, em sua maioria, adormecidos como zumbis…
What is Happiness
The question of what is happiness conjures up an array of opinion and answers. My personal path has guided me to the words of Aristotle in his Ethics which states (paraphrased); “There are three types of happiness; That which is in pleasure which even the cattle partake in (physical level); That which is in honour but requires someone to honour you (functional plane) and; That which is in contemplation which is self sufficient (conceptual realm).
Este mundo nos ofrece la posibilidad de sentirnos humanos. Vivir y dejar vivir.Uno con el otro, sin pedir nada a cambio. La felicidad nos debería llegar solo con el hecho de poder respirar. Somos todos tan egoistas que no nos damos cuenta de que hay un mundo ahí fuera. Sí, un mundo lleno de pequeños circos que nos hacen más llevadero el dia a dia. Y dentro de esos circos están las hambrunas y los “locales de comida rápida”. Donde estan los límites? Todo depende del cristal con que se mire y de las expectativas que uno mismo tenga.
Leyendo los otros mensajes pienso que somos todos unos soñadores. El Amor es importante, pero cuanto amor se encuentra a través de la modernidad de un Chat? Aprendamos a mirar a nuestro alrededor! Soy un ser humano solo, rodeado de gente.En un circo que es este mundo, pero gracias a Dios sin pasar hambre.
Decididamente confio en la inteligencia del ser humano. Mis respetos a todos Ustedes.
Hi.I think it refers to the custom of cesars used in order to keep the folk quiet.They fast organized some shows with gladiators,people forgot troubles.With the same ocasion ,they organized few banquets,so the feast was complete.Is important to remember,that applies only to the people that were generally poor,humble,so not think much about culture,phylosophy or else.I think the tradition keeps going on even in our days,in my town ,streets need to be repared,traffic is a torture,park very few,polution sky-high,in few words,lots of problems.But,the mayor thought well,and use to organise public shows,spending some money to bring a band,and some fire works,near buffet,with beer so on.I mean people blinded.They dont get the meaning,this is dust thrown in the folk eyes.Maybe not bad some feast,but this is pure strategy,to distort attention from really important things.
I don’t know about the entire circus, but I do know that the world definitely needs more clowns! And I don’t mean in the derogatory sense - not those political “clowns” .. far too many of those! We need more of those innocent, vulnerable, childlike, funny and harmless clowns. And the fact that I am a clown has not influenced my reply!
Actually in the ancient days, circus probably referred to more violent entertainment .. the Roman circus was quite horrific. I’m not sure bread and circus are what people “need” but it is what keeps them TAME.
Bread and circus -:
As I have read all of your comments with a smile all I can say is -
“As long as I have enought to eat, can play for a while, get loved in return, I have it all”
Wishing you all Gods Blessings and Love,
No sé si la traducción exacta es esta, la he sacado de google:
Hay un dicho muy conocido - que se remonta a la antigüedad - que establece que sólo las personas necesitadas, con el fin de ser felices, a tener “pan y circo”.
¿Crees que este sigue siendo válida hoy en día?
Contesto según esta traducción:
- Creo que no hay una respuesta única y verdadera a esta pregunta. La respuesta variaría según la personalidad de la persona pobre a la que nos refiriréramos y de sus circunstancias:
EJEMPLO:
- Un hombre vive en una chabola, en un país muy pobre de África; tiene el amor de su familia, pero todos se mueren de hambre. LLega un viajante y le dice, toma. Pan para todo lo que te queda de vida. Toma: circo. Es muy probable que este pobre hombre se sienta feliz, muy afortunado y se sienta inmensamente agradecido. Tal vez este hombre necesite sólo pan y circo al principio, pero una vez que sus deseos, éstos, le han sido concedidos, es posible que nazcan en este hombre otros deseos, otras necesidades que satisfaccer para poder ser feliz. O es posible, también, que no necesite nada más.
(De todas las maneras, creo que la naturaleza del hombre, la mayoría de las veces, claro -hay excepciones-, es desear, ansiar, querer.)
Ejemplo abstracto de esto:
Un hombre adora pescar. Nunca ha pescado nada pero tiene la esperanza de lograrlo.
- Dios, dame un regalo. !Una trucha! Sería tan feliz…-
Dios que es atento, lo ha escuchado y decide concederle el deseo. El hombre es feliz por un día.
Días después el hombre, confiado, vuelve al río a pescar. Para sorpresa suya, pesca otra vez una trucha.
- ¿Una trucha?- Dice decepcionado- Yo quería un pez más grande.
El hombre continúa pescando truchas, todos los días de su vida. Su sueño antes era pescar una vez en su vida un pez, el que fuese. Ahora que lo logra todos los días se siente insatisfecho e infeliz.
No se puede contestar. Todo depende de muchísimas cosas. Tal vez otro hombre con este sueño - pescar una trucha- no necesite pescar otro pez más grande y esté eternamente agradecido.
No hay una respuesta verdadera, creo, a una pregunta tan generalizada.
Amor.
No hay unas normas definidas y para todos que al cumplirlas te den la felicidad; unos son felices con unas cosas y otros con otras. Respecto a quienes dicen que lo más importante es el amor, decirles que estoy de acuerdo, pero no creo que todo el mundo necesite amor, por muy duro y terrible que suene esto. Creo que hay gente que se alimente con odio, venganza, ira, etc.
Si no habría gente así en el mundo, y haberla hay y mucha.
Consciente de las cosas que hay en la vida, me daría pena ser feliz con pan y circo solamente. Por otra parte y aquí me contradigo, sería genial ser feliz con tan poco.
No sé que da la felicidad, si la consciencia o la insconsciencia.
Amor
The power of food and fun has always controlled the simple mind of man. Since his birth, the being has kept the same on the pinnacle of his priorities. Do you ever wonder why? Yes, food is necessary for surviving. But does it need to have such importance in our daily lives? A lot of people would say, it does. Hundreds of cuisines later, this seems a foolish question.
As for fun. The essence of human lives is in experiencing new things everyday. Since it is not possible on a daily basis, man has succumbed to the devices which accord him pleasure. the things which make him happy superficially. I say superficially because, the relevance of such frivolties leads nowhere when you are going to bid adieu to the world. Man has forgotten the greater things in life. As time transgresses, man is becoming more corrupt and deviates further away from the truth. The essence of modern life and its nuances seeps into the normal human being’s life and it poisons him. He becomes a slave to these frivolties he calls fun and pleasure.
What would we do without circus. Circus is creativity, entertainment, crazynes, gossip, drama. It has been there and it will always be there, we all crave for it like we crave for bread.
Without bread we die and for sure we can’t enjoy anything, being very, really, awfully hungry. Having a bread but no circus it turns the life in a work-eat-sleep circle without any joy; here’s come the depressions. So, yes, I thing bread and circus are everything we need to be in good shape to develop all our others capacities - mental and physicals. Lucius Annae Senecae wrote that in all the periods of the humanity the culture rises where is a good life. Of course, having this two basic goods, we have to understand what we have and to not abuse with that we have (”bread” means most of the time “bread” and no “a table full of exotic luxury meals”). This is the beginning of the wisdom…
all we need is bread and circus. maybe bread is a representation of the body of christ so it could mean all we need is god and that god will provide for all we need. the circus may mean lifes journey and entertainment the many different people that we meet on our travels all with their own special tallents that everyone is unique and that we should accept this and happy with who we are and love everyone for who they are..because wouldnt a circus be boring if everyone did the same act???
It is rather obvious that nowadays we need more than food and fun -although some types are still living more or less unconsious. However the saying goes back to ancient times, and I presume the word “people” implies the hard working laborers, who had not time to wonder about the deeper meaning of life. To them food was the most important item and besides that once or twice a year they had a fair or a circus to look forward to. Sundays were not for playing around, because the church did not allow it.
Well, what do I know:-)
Bread & circus along with all fortunes of our current beings would worth nothing if not accompanied with: Freedome, respect, love and the ability to dream -good expectations and hopes towards the future- .
Yes, I think that’s enough, together with respect, as long as there’s enough of it for everybody… We are today as simple as we were before, we just became much more bad persons…
Reading others’ comments on happiness, the common theme is as always, Love. The love for children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends, mankind. Personally I cannot function without knowing that there is someone out there who loves me, truly loves me, warts and all. I have faith that God does this, but sometimes in life you meet someone in whom God manifests himself and become part of their soul. I met one such person with whom I have shared my most intimate secrets, hopes, fears, fantasies but we have become separated by the desire ‘to do the right thing’, to face up to responsibilities. I have three children and I know that the man I live with, their father, is a good man but I also know that I love him only as the father of my children. I believe he knows that too but we have made a silent pact to keep our home together; we have both seen the product of so many ‘broken homes’ and do not want our beautiful children to become part of that. My soulmate is a widower, although he does have a child and he means the world to me, although many would say this is wrong. I do not believe we will ever be together in this life, but it is our love that sustains me. I can only be myself for my children when I reflect on this love. Yes, we need bread and perhaps ‘circus’, but as Elisa quotes from Corinthians ‘Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things’.
I prefer cake & pantomime; but each to their own.
La pregunta me recuerda el ignominioso gobierno militar de Miguel de la Torre y Pando, que hizo de gobernador en Puerto Rico por los años 1823 a 1837. La historia se repite, sobre todo cuando la ignoramos en lugar de aprender de ella.
Como parte de su campaña para ahogar todo movimiento puertorriqueño de independencia estableció el “Gobierno de las tres B’s: Baile, Botella y Baraja”. De la Torre decía que un pueblo entretenido no se rebela.
Me parece que no es difícil reconocer que esa actitud aún prevalece en la gran mayoría de los gobiernos actuales, por no decir en todos.
I guess the person who quoted,”People only need,in order to be happy, to have bread and circus” must have been a man who was experiencing poverty and was envious of those around him who looked apparently happy who according to him could afford a full meal and some entertainment. I disagree with all responders who believe only love is sufficient to keep a man happy. Well, love is all-enduring but I also have come across an old saying that says,”When there is no money, love flies out of the window”. We live in a materialistic world and happiness comes with a price. Money buys us food and entertainment, they do not come for free, so when a man has money he is happy because if bread and circus alone makes people happy, its people who have money who can afford them.Come on guys, a hungry man cannot feel love…..
ANIMALS ARE HAPPY WITH BREAD ALONE, THEY DON’T EVEN NEED CIRCUS !
HUMANS HAVE A MIND WHICH TROUBLES THEM, MAKES THEM ASK QUESTIONS, UNLESS ITS PUT TO SLEEP BY CIRCUS OR BY INTOXICANTS.
A MAN WHO IS HAPPY WITH BREAD AND CIRCUS ALONE IS
NOT Y E T A M A N.
love
aditya
this is for mary…i feel yr sadness and iv been through something similar but its good to remember that what is for you wont pass you by..and although you are soul mates this dosnt mean that you are to live a life together..some soulmates only pass each other briefly…he may have come into yr life for other reasons..to teach you lessons to give you the love and strenght you needed to keep yr family together..iv just finished reading “angels in my hair” by lorna byrne its an amazing book iv realized there is a bigger picture at play and to embrace every day..hope this helps in anyway
Without love, you have nothing.
I believe that without having anyone to love - or not being loved by anyone, equals to unhappiness.
I believe in order to be truly happy, you need love in your life as a number one.
With love in your life facing hunger, thirst and boredom - you’ll die a happy.
And I rather live a short life - filled with love.
then a long one without it.
Bread & happyness are essential, but they are not every thing that a person need.
In life there are many things which without it we feel hollow such as: Love & Self-esteeme
without love whatevever we’ve get we find our-selves in-need to something valubale, that thing which is very hard to define, since it has a lot of way ways to express it…
while Self-esteem is that personal judge on our acheivements or on things we are living for doing it. sometimes it could be persuading our dreams….
Finally food can have the same value to all people because its a need “You have to eat because you are hungry”, while Happyness is a feeling & a need. Its a feeling that varies from one person to another, also its a need since happyness is our motivative to fight in life.
I guess the Romans said something like this, give the people what to eat, drink and play and they will not revolt!
It is still valid today I guess we have to one more thing, Sex..
It is a sad truth to limit our life to merely eat and play…
I don’t know shouldn’t human be more than that?
As I interpret the quote to mean all we need is “sustenance” and “play”, I would say that this still holds true today, at a fundamental level. It’s when people begin to complicate their life that they think more is necessary. To live simply is to experience pure joy, freedom, and the essence of spirit.
Peace & Love,
Steph
Perhaps you will need it to be satisfied, not to be happy.