THE WAY OF THE WORLD

 

Klaus Doring <doringklaus@gmail.com>	Fri, Aug 14, 10:37 AM (6 days ago)		Add reaction Reply More
to boholchronicle

By Klaus Döring

The Way of the World is a comedy play written by the English playwright William Congreve, first performed in 1700. It premiered in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is widely regarded by critics as one of the finest works of Restoration comedy ever written, and has often been called a centrepiece of the genre. Initially, however, the play struck many audience members as continuing the "immorality" of the previous decades, and was not well received. Public perception of the play gradually changed over time, and it eventually became noted for its important role in shaping the comedy of manners genre during the Restoration period, and continues to be adapted for performances in operas, concerts, and theatres. The Restoration period was a time of "fashionable facade."

William Congreve’s The Way of the World (1700) is the peak of Restoration comedy and the comedy of manners. It satirizes upper-class hypocrisy, greed, and marital economics, tracing the witty lovers Mirabell and Millamant as they out-maneuver social traps and secure their fortunes.

 Englishmen condemned sexual promiscuity in public, but in private took a liking to the well-executed French wit, and such is reflected in the subject matter of the play. This may have contributed to the play not being well received when it initially came out.

Sometimes, we might ask ourselves: What is the sense of doing this and that? What is the meaning of life? I am sure, each and every one of us looks for a good life. 

When you're struggling in life, take assurance in the fact that everyone else struggles like you do. We may not have similar struggles, but it's still a struggle nonetheless. If struggles didn't exist, we'd have no way to appreciate the beauty and wonders of life.

Sometimes, we seem to remain very optimistic. We think it's easy to always find a good life. Most of the time, we are in doubt or, we even choose to be unhappy without any reason at all. To wake up in the morning with pessimism and fall asleep at night, dissatisfied and unhappy - yes, that makes life miserable.

Face it: Living a good life is not living a life without problems. Living a good life comes from acknowledging, facing, and then transcending each problem as it comes. If you let the problems get you down, you'll always be down. Choose instead to let the problems get you up, get you going, and get you working on solving them

On the other hand: Without happiness and satisfaction there is indeed no space for peace in our hearts and minds. Therefore there is no domestic harmony and logically, no peace on earth. The meaning of happiness is trying to manage life even with big problems, difficulties and trials. I learned this from Filipinos after staying in the Philippines as an expatriate for good since 1999.I was really surprised to experience mutual happiness, friendship, love, unity and communal spirit with relatives  in my surroundings. Even during the really not easy last three years.

Of course, I also found myself in very negative situations. I observed people, who seem to live an easy go lucky way of life. But, they were like actors and actresses on stage, wearing incredible masks and pretending to be what they are not. 

Hence, in Greek, they are the so-called hypocrites. Maybe also you and I belong to them from time to time. Fear of rejection or displeasure of other people are becoming our daily friends. In society, it's called "good public relations". Politely greeting and smiling with a set of purpose: to win them there for business.

So, what really counts for us in life? Success? Power? Strength? Money? Is it contentment? Is it peace on earth? Is it peace in our homes? Zest for life?

Let us go through life's journey: From time to time, we have been babies bubbling like a brook on the first blush of spring. We hurried up, unaware of problems and troubles, being unconscious of time, as adults we worried and became conscious of money. Then, suddenly, we looked at our faces, the first wrinkles, and the bald patch on the forehead, the first grey hair. We observed our teeth falling out and our eyeglasses got thicker and our bones crack here and there. 

We start the familiar line: "When I was young... ." And we realize our mortality. Death could knock at our door any time. We feel humbled. We have mellowed. 

Have I done no wrong? Have I been selfless or selfish? Have I been mission-oriented since then? Have I lived a life worthy in God's eyes? What really counted for me? Ano ang mahalaga? Paniniwala? Pag-asa? O kaya pagbibigayan at pagtutulungan?

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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me in Facebook, LinkedIn or x - Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.

Why does the English language bend so many grammatical rules to the point of inconsistency and confusion?

English doesn't actually bend its own grammar rules. Its notorious inconsistency comes from being three entirely different languages hiding in a single trench coat.

At its foundation, English is a Germanic language, brought to the British Isles in the 5th century by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. The foundational grammar and the most common daily words—like "water," "strong," and "house"—come from this Old English. However, in the 8th and 9th centuries, Viking invaders brought Old Norse. Because the two groups had to trade and live together, their languages collided. To make communication easier, English simplified its own grammar, dropping complex noun genders and word endings. At the same time, it absorbed Norse quirks and pronouns, creating the first deep layer of structural irregularity.

The real chaos began in 1066 with the Norman Conquest. French-speaking nobility took over England, making Old Norman the language of the court, law, and power, while the commoners continued speaking English. Over the next three hundred years, English absorbed around 10,000 French words. This split is why English has so many confusing spelling rules and dual vocabularies. For instance, people raise "cows" and "swine" (Germanic words used by the farmers) but eat "beef" and "pork" (French words used by the lords being served). This era also introduced French grammatical concepts, like placing adjectives after nouns in certain official titles, resulting in terms like "attorney general" instead of "general attorney."

Centuries later, during the Renaissance, scholars decided that English was not sophisticated enough. They forcefully injected thousands of Latin and Greek words into the language to describe new concepts in science, medicine, and literature. Worse, they tried to impose Latin grammar rules onto a Germanic language framework. The famous rule warning writers to "never end a sentence with a preposition" was pushed heavily by 17th and 18th-century grammarians simply because Latin sentences cannot end with prepositions. Applying that standard to English is like trying to force the rules of chess onto a game of checkers.

The inconsistency of English is simply a historical record of invasions, migrations, and academic meddling. It is not a single language that forgot how to behave, but a colliding mixture of Old English, Old Norse, French, and Latin, all fighting for dominance in the same dictionary.

9,5 Milliarden Euro pro Jahrgang: Warum die Rente mit 63 zum Machtkampf wird

Stand:19.08.2026, 09:08 Uhr

Von: Martin Wald   

Sieben Ministerpräsidenten wettern gegen das Reform-Herzstück. Das DIW rechnet vor: 9,5 Mrd. Euro Ersparnis pro Jahrgang, wenn die abschlagsfreie Frührente fällt. Wer hat recht?

Die Zahl 63 ist Etikettenschwindel. Wer heute abschlagsfrei früher in Rente gehen will, muss 64,5 Jahre alt sein, künftig 65. Trotzdem tobt um genau dieses Symbol gerade der härteste verteilungspolitische Machtkampf der Legislatur und er hat einen Preis: 9,5 Mrd. Euro pro Rentenjahrgang. Mindestens sieben Ministerpräsidenten stemmen sich gegen die geplante Streichung der abschlagsfreien Frührente nach 45 Beitragsjahren.   

Dieser Artikel entstand in einer Content-Partnerschaft mit Partner Business Punk

Brandenburgs Regierungschef Dietmar Woidke brachte den Widerstand auf den Punkt: „45 Jahre sind ein langes Arbeitsleben. Das muss für eine Rente ohne Abschläge reichen.“ Sein Instagram-Post ging viral, der ökonomische Gegenwind blieb trotzdem eiskalt. Die Kritik kommt vor allem aus Ostdeutschland, wo laut BR viele Beschäftigte schon mit 16 Jahren ins Arbeitsleben eingestiegen sind und entsprechend lange Versicherungsverläufe vorweisen können. Genau diese Biografien sind der emotionale Kern des Widerstands, denn sie lassen sich politisch leicht als Fälle von Lebensleistung erzählen, auch wenn die Datenlage ein  di fferenzierteres Bild zeichnet.   

Warum die Rente mit 63 zum Machtkampf wird © imago stock&people

Viele Ökonomen sind sich einig, die Politik nicht

Marcel Fratzscher vom Deutschen Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung zählt die abschlagsfreie Frührente zum finanziell wichtigsten Baustein der gesamten Rentenreform. Seine Warnung ist unmissverständlich: „Ohne das Element ist die Rentenreform tot.“ Das ist keine akademische Randnotiz, sondern eine direkte Kampfansage an sieben Landesregierungen. Viele Ökonomen und Fachleute sprechen sich laut Medienberichten für eine Streichung der abschlagsfreien Frührente aus und genau darin liegt die Brisanz: Selten steht eine derart breite ökonomische Übereinstimmung derart offen gegen eine Länderfront aus Regierungschefs. Der Konflikt hat eine handfeste ökonomische Basis. Laut BR nutzt etwa jeder dritte Altersrentner die Frührente, jährlich 250.000 bis 280.000 Menschen.   

Nach Angaben der Deutschen Rentenversicherung kostet das System dadurch zusätzlich 3,5 Mrd. Euro pro Jahr, umgelegt auf einen einzelnen Beitragszahler sind das laut BILD rund 40 Euro jährlich. Wichtig für die Einordnung: Die abschlagsfreie Rente wird nicht ausschließlich über Rentenbeiträge finanziert, sondern zusätzlich über Steuermittel, weshalb diese Modellrechnung nur eine Annäherung liefert. Über einen kompletten Jahrgang gerechnet, vom Renteneintritt bis zum Lebensende, summiert sich das laut DIW-Studie auf 9,5 Mrd. Euro Einsparpotenzial, plus 125.000 zusätzliche Vollzeitkräfte, weil Menschen länger arbeiten und dem Arbeitsmarkt erhalten bleiben.

Wer wirklich profitiert, ist nicht der Maurer

Die Frührente wurde als Zugeständnis an Menschen mit harten Berufen verkauft, Maurer, Fliesenleger, Pflegekräfte. Die Datenlage zeichnet ein anderes Bild: Überdurchschnittlich profitieren Männer, Besserverdienende und Menschen mit stabilen, ungebrochenen Erwerbsbiografien.   

Das verschiebt die Debatte aus Sicht mancher Ökonomen von Fürsorge zu Umverteilung nach oben, ein Punkt, den die ostdeutschen Kritiker bislang ausblenden. Gerade tendenziell gesunde Personen mit durchgängigen Erwerbsverläufen nutzen das Instrument überproportional, während die ursprüngliche Zielgruppe der körperlich Belasteten in den Zahlen deutlich unterrepräsentiert bleibt, ein Befund, der die politische Erzählung von der verdienten Frührente für harte Berufe empfindlich ins Wanken bringt.

Was der Beitragssatz konkret kostet

Eine Prognos-Studie beziffert den Effekt auf den Beitragssatz: 0,4 bis 0,5 Prozentpunkte weniger, wenn die Frührente fällt. Für 2030 hieße das 19,5 statt 20 Prozent. Bei einem Bruttoeinkommen von 4.500 Euro monatlich sind das rund elf Euro weniger Abzug, Monat für Monat, planbar für die private Vorsorge.     

Diese Differenz zeigt laut Focus, wie sich private Vorsorge etwa über einen breit gestreuten ETF-Sparplan aufbauen liesse, wie ihn Verhaltensökonom Hartmut Walz mit seiner KISS-Methode beschreibt: einfach halten, global investieren, jahrzehntelang laufen lassen. Erst in den letzten zehn Jahren vor dem geplanten Ruhestand setzt Walz‘ Methode auf schwankungsärmere Bausteine wie Anleihen, um das Portfolio abzusichern. Diese individuelle Vorsorgestrategie ersetzt keine politische Lösung, zeigt aber laut Walz, dass der Verlust der abschlagsfreien Frührente teilweise ausgleichbar sein könnte, wenn die eingesparten Beitragspunkte in private Vorsorge umgeleitet würden statt im Konsum zu verpuffen.

Business Punk Check

Die Landesfürsten spielen ein Nullsummenspiel mit fremdem Geld. Sieben Ministerpräsidenten verteidigen ein Privileg, das laut Datenlage überproportional gesunden, gut verdienenden Männern nutzt, nicht der viel zitierten Fliesenlegerin aus Cottbus. Das ist keine Sozialpolitik, das ist Klientelpolitik mit Ost-Anstrich. Für Unternehmen und Beitragszahler zählt eine Zahl: Die DIW-Studie beziffert ein Einsparpotenzial von 9,5 Mrd. Euro pro Rentnerjahrgang, die Rente mit 63 wird aus Beiträgen und Steuermitteln finanziert.   Wer als Arbeitgeber auf sinkende Lohnnebenkosten hofft, sollte die Illusion begraben, solange Landesregierungen das Reformkernstück blockieren. Entscheider in Personalabteilungen tun gut daran, ihre Fachkräfteplanung nicht auf einen fixen Renteneintritt bei 63 oder 65 zu bauen, sondern auf Szenarien mit Verzögerung. Die eigentliche Frage lautet nicht, ob die Reform kommt, sondern wie viele Ausnahmeregelungen sie am Ende zerschießen.

Peso nears 62:$1 mark, hits new record low

 

BY IAN NICOLAS P. CIGARAL

AUGUST 20, 2026

EDITED BY INQUIRER PLUS GRPAHICS/JULIA SANCHEZ

The Philippine peso fell to a record low on Wednesday, nearing 62 to the US dollar as lingering tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over the path of US interest rates strengthened the greenback.

The local currency weakened to an intraday low of 61.995 during morning trading before paring losses to close at 61.815, down 3 centavos from its previous finish.

The intraday low surpassed the previous record of 61.85 set on July 24. Trading volume rose to nearly $1.9 billion from $1.3 billion in the previous session.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

 

By

 Klaus Döring

 -

Thursday, August 20, 2026

THE APHORISM “laughter is the best medicine” has been associated with the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” This ancient wisdom may indeed hold true, particularly when it comes to our physical and emotional well-being.

It’s true: laughter can be powerful medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.

Laughter strengthens the immune system, boosts the mood, diminishes pain, and helps protect us from the damaging effects of stress. Few things work as quickly or dependably as a good laugh in bringing the mind and body back into balance.

Humor lightens our burdens, inspires hope, connects us with others, and keeps us grounded, focused, and alert. It can also help us release anger and forgive more easily.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for overcoming problems, strengthening relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day. As adults, however, life tends to become more serious, and laughter becomes less frequent. By deliberately seeking more opportunities for humor and laughter, we can improve our emotional health, strengthen our relationships, find greater happiness — and perhaps even add years to our lives.

Laughter can boost the immune system. It decreases stress hormones while increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thereby improving the body’s resistance to disease.

Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and may even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter can also benefit the heart. It improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which may help protect against heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

Laughter even burns calories. Okay, it is certainly no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories. Over the course of a year, that could theoretically be enough to shed three or four pounds.

Laughter also lightens anger’s heavy load. Few things can defuse anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side of a situation can put problems into perspective and enable us to move on from confrontations without holding on to bitterness or resentment.

Laughter may even help us live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who laughed less. The difference was particularly notable among those battling cancer.

More than simply providing respite from sadness and pain, laughter can give us the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult times, a laugh — or even just a smile — can go a long way toward making us feel better. And laughter really is contagious: simply hearing someone laugh can prime the brain and make us ready to smile and join in the fun.

Laughter can also shift our perspective, allowing us to see situations in a more realistic and less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help prevent us from feeling overwhelmed while also helping to defuse conflict.

Perhaps most importantly, laughter draws us closer to other people, and these human connections can have a profound effect on our mental and emotional well-being.

Laughter releases endorphins, often called “feel-good hormones.” It also increases our intake of oxygen-rich air and reduces stress hormones, helping lower the heart rate and blood pressure while allowing the muscles to relax.

But what if we feel we have no reason to laugh? Even then, we should try to express a little mirth and find reasons to be cheerful. We can start with the gentlest form of audible laughter — the vocalized smile. This is something I have learned and experienced since I first began traveling in Asia in 1978 and, later, when I settled permanently in the Philippines in 1999. Keep smiling — even when you are overwhelmed by enormous problems.

Experts also say that good humor works because it helps people feel more at ease. French psychotherapist Sylvie Tenenbaum has observed that, among her patients, laughter often signals the beginning of a healthy awakening to reality. Gallows humor may be viewed with doubt or discomfort by others, but sometimes we simply need to express what is inside us.

Try to sing out loud. Try to cry. But above all, try to laugh!

As a devout Christian, I love reading the Bible. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 reminds us: “There is a time for everything … a time to be born and a time to die … a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh!”

And perhaps that is one of life’s simplest lessons: there will always be a time for tears and difficulties, but we should never forget that there must also be a time for laughter.

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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, X (Twitter), or LinkedIn, or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com/PN