The Flexible Meaning of Words

If a language is too easy to create words, then it would be easy for propaganda too.

The same thing can be explained either best or worst, here we just talking about an example of how to describe bamboo.

In Chinese term the character 节 means the joint of bamboo:

When split it, it looks like:

Obviously, as bamboo is empty in middle, the joints are holding the body to avoid being split when it was living. It works like a holding ring of a barrel. So the Chinese regard the 节joint is a symbol of self-control or to hold someone not to burst. Some other words may tell you the meaning of 节, such as贞节means virginity; hold ones sexual appetite, 屈节 bend-节 means grovel，变节Change-节 means change of loyalty, 音节 sound-节 means syllable. 一节 one-节 means a pieces of a long thing, such as 一节课 a lesson，节节败退 means one retreat in defeat followed another, 关节means connected-节, joint of limb etc.

Here we explain some Chinese words as:

节: joints of bamboo, symbolises self-control.

虚心: empty-heart means humble, modest or open mind. The empty-heart can be explained as regard oneself doesn’t have enough knowledge; the opposite word is 自满 self-full means regard oneself already full of knowledge or complacent.

腹中空: hollow-inside means emptiness.

皮厚: thick-skinned, or cheeky.

嘴尖: sharp-mouth means sharp-tongue.

With above back knowledge, when a Chinese uses bamboo shoot as metaphor to describe a shameless person, it would be:

嘴尖，皮厚，腹中空。

Sharp-tongue, thick-skinned and emptiness.

Cut bamboo shoot, it looks like:

While if a Chinese uses bamboo as metaphor for a good person, it would be:

未曾出土便有节，纵使凌云仍虚心。

Before push the soil up it had 节first (self-control). Even grow up above the cloud it was still modest (empty-heart).

From this we may understand what a political propaganda is. The same issue, party A can explained as the best, while the party B can explained as the worst.