“For the Khampas, there are three kinds of men in the world:  the porap is a strong man who crosses the mountain passes to make a name for himself, and who strives to improve his lot in life.  The poting is an average man who makes himself a home, worries about the necessities of life, and ‘competes with wood’ – an inanimate object – to ensure his own victory and so as not to be embarrassed by being outdone.  The pota is a weak man who stays at home and sits by the fire arguing with his mother.”

From The Ancient Tea Horse Road by Jeff Fuchs