Deconstructing the Chinese word for ‘crisis’
So, in a nutshell, ‘crisis’ does not equal ‘opportunity’. This was a myth that’s been propagated over the years due to a misinterpretation of the Chinese characters.
danger + opportunity ≠ crisis
The third, and fatal, misapprehension is the author’s definition of jī as “opportunity.” While it is true that wēijī does indeed mean “crisis” and that the wēi syllable of wēijī does convey the notion of “danger,” the jī syllable of wēijī most definitely does not signify “opportunity.” Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines “opportunity” as:
- a favorable juncture of circumstances;
- a good chance for advancement or progress.
While that may be what our Pollyanaish advocates of “crisis” as “danger” plus “opportunity” desire jī to signify, it means something altogether different.
wēi (危) and jī (機/机)
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