Goethe: "Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean"

[Bucky]

Is this a good thought, a good bit naive, or total bullshit? Discuss.

[Dr Morbius]

1. I think it's a good thought.

Sadly, not everyone will do so.

[MissHoneychurch]

2. The original quote

Bürgerpflicht

Ein jeder kehre vor seiner Tür.
Und rein ist jedes Stadtquartier.
Ein jeder übe sein' Lektion,
So wird es gut im Rate stohn!

‚Warum denn wie mit einem Besen
Wird so ein König hinausgekehrt?‘
Wären's Könige gewesen,
Sie stünden alle noch unversehrt.

Zahme Xenien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenien)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. er, Danke! (I think)

:hi:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. If I sweep my trash onto your doorstep, is the world cleaner?

Probably not, but it will make me feel more Republican.

:hi:

[Bucky]

5. Actually a Republican would first privatize the city's garbage collectors and then...

scream hysterically when it turns out that the city's trash contractors have hired illegal aliens.

[dimbear]

6. Doing a little hard physical labor might have cheered Werther up,

instead of just moping around uselessly.

[Blue_Tires]

7. there is a certain Zen to it...

actually, I have a page-a-day Zen quote calendar, and it's had a few of his quotes...