Gość: chickenShorts
IP: *.abo.wanadoo.fr
01.04.03, 13:58
We know thanks to butterfly's excellent:
forum.gazeta.pl/forum/72,2.html?f=517&w=4950117
'Life in 1500' thread...
I thought we could go on a bit in that direction as it's both quite
entertaining & educational. Here is the origin of 'brainwashing' & surprise
surprise, it's Chinese:
"Brainwashing" is one of the few Chinese phrases to have made its way
directly into English in translation, thanks to the Korean War. Chinese
Taoist temples often displayed the two characters "Xi Xin," pronounced "shee
shin," meaning "Wash Heart." It was an adjuration to all those entering to
purge their hearts of base thoughts [i.e. Chinese Thought Reform] and
desires, and rise to a higher spiritual plane.
The Chinese communists adopted this phrase during political "struggle
sessions," in which an erring comrade would be urged by the group to
straighten out, fly right, get back in tune with the common goal. The very
word for "comrade" in Chinese is tongzhi, meaning "share goal."
Only one slight change was made: Instead of washing the heart, one was urged
to wash the brain, "Xi Nao," purify one's thoughts.