M emailed me a picture of a cicada with red eyes (hence the nick name "old red eye"). It is said to stay underground for 17 years before breaking out to become its mature form (and last just a summer, probably).
The nickname of cicada in Chinese is "Zhi-liao," or literally, "I know" (or perhaps "I knew"). The reason is that the monotonic pitch of its drone resemble the sound of "I know, I know, ..."
As a child, I was told the story about the proud Zhi-liao saying "I know" to all the things he was told, and when he has such attitute his ears are shut to all the things he might have learned.
One time I heard someone on the radio saying the best thing others had said to her is "shut up and listen." Not a bad advice if you can take away the negative setiment.
Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. (James 1:19)
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