You might have heard about the story of Pandora and/or the Pandora's box.
To sum up the story, Pandora, a beautiful woman bestowed with the multi-gifts (Pandora means "all the gifts" ) from the gods, was created by the Greek god, Hephaestus, through order made by Zeus. Pandora was given the box/jar containing difficult toil, pain, and sickness, etc., and she was to give these "gifts" to mankind.
It was due to Zeus's anger against Prometheus, who had stolen the fire from heaven and gave it to the humans.
Although Prometheus warned his brother, Epimetheus, not to accept any gifts from Zeus, Epimetheus received Pandora, and she opened this jar/box, and we the humans has been infested with the toil, pain, and disease.
Somehow within this jar/box was "hope'', and Pandora closed the lid just in time to keep the hope from escaping.
Now comes the problem...
This story is usually understood that since Pandora closed the lid, we have "hope" and not just the pain and sickness in the world, but...
If opening of the jar/box let the sickness, etc. out in the world but kept the hope within the jar/box, what is that mean? It can mean that hope is not released into the world... meaning, we have no hope!?!
If you are interested, please go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora
... and scroll down to the section, "Difficulties of interpretation."
What would you make of this story???????
