---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There isn’t, incidentally, any such thing…"
description: "\"“There isn’t, incidentally, any such thing as an ancient Chinese curse saying, “May you live in interesting times.” The phrase seems to be a piece of i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_interesting-times_there-isn-t-incidentally-any-such-thing_2607666.jpg"
---

#  There isn’t, incidentally, any such thing as an ancient…

![“There isn’t, incidentally, any such thing as an ancient Chinese curse saying, “May you live in interesting times.” The phrase seems to be a piece of invented Orientalist folklore coined in the 1930s by First Lord of the Admiralty Sir Austen Chamberlain, half-brother of Prime Minister Neville…” quote by P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_interesting-times_there-isn-t-incidentally-any-such-thing_2607666.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_interesting-times_there-isn-t-incidentally-any-such-thing_2607666.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_interesting-times_there-isn-t-incidentally-any-such-thing_2607666.jpg)

> ““There isn’t, incidentally, any such thing as an ancient Chinese curse saying, “May you live in interesting times.” The phrase seems to be a piece of invented Orientalist folklore coined in the 1930s by First Lord of the Admiralty Sir Austen Chamberlain, half-brother of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who went off to Munich to appease Hitler. And let’s not be silly and forget that the Chamberlain brothers lived in much more accursedly interesting times than our own. What I thought was going on in the 2016 election cycle was a mere fight to the death between two fundamental American political ideologies.””

[P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote debunks a false ancient Chinese curse, tracing its origin to 1930s British political satire, and uses it to highlight the turbulent political climate of both past and present.

**In simple terms:** A fake curse is actually a modern invention, showing how history is misused for political commentary.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how myths are created and used to frame current events.

Themes

politics history mythmaking media satire

Mood

skeptical reflective critical

Type

analytical historical political

When to use this quote

- election analysis
- media criticism
- public discourse
- historical education

Key Concepts

Orientalism political rhetoric historical revisionism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do modern narratives reshape historical facts?
- What role does satire play in political discourse?

A Different Perspective

The quote may overstate the similarity between eras, ignoring unique contextual differences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ancient Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-chinese/) [Interesting times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-times/) [Live In Interesting Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-in-interesting-times/) [Prime minister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prime-minister/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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