“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci (Adopted by Steve Jobs)
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A Boy was bathing in a lake and, drifting out of his depth, was in danger of drowning. He cried out for help.
A Man who was passing by saw the Boy and, standing on the shore, began to chide him for carelessly getting out of his depth.
“But, Sir, please help me now and throw a rope. You can scold me later!“
Moral of the Story: In a crisis, give assistance, not advice.
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Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Related Articles: The Importance of Aesop to Socrates
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Why We Loved It: Aesop lived about 100 years before Socrates. We know that Aesop had a profound impact on Socrates, because Socrates referred to Aesop in his Socratic teachings. By the time of Socrates, the evidence is that Aesop and his fables were already famous teachings.
Socrates identified The Four Cardinal Virtues: Wisdom, Courage, Temperance and Justice. To be a bit more accessible, we can rephrase into: Righteous practical knowledge, Going when we desire to stop, Stopping when we desire to go, and Harmony or Balance. In the tomes of Socratic Philosophy, the Cardinal Virtues reduce to good decisions, going, stopping and the regulation of those three attributes in proper balance. Pretty much like driving a car.
In the realm of human virtue, Courage gets a lot of credit; that is, to push forward through fear. Courage tends to be obvious, because it is positive evidence. What tends to get lost is Stopping’s yin to Going’s yang. It is much tougher to recognize the negative evidence of inaction. So, horsepower gets all the credit, but we remember that horsepower must be matched to braking power; otherwise, the vehicle is simply out of control, with a crash sure to follow the flaw. And, so it is that Discipline (Temperance), or the stopping, is often the lesser appreciated equal partner of Courage, or the going. Power without control runs amuck.
The two Cardinal Virtues stated in the middle of the four—being Courage and Discipline—imply something necessary in common: mental strength and toughness, balanced by the two ends—being Righteous Direction (Wisdom) and Regulation (Justice/Harmony/Control). Whether we know better or not, it’s tough to go forward in fear, and it’s tough to hold fast when we are excited to go. It is simply a fact that weaker minds have a harder time implementing what they know to be wise. Thus, the comment from Jesus, “I tell you, many will strive to enter through the narrow gate, but will not be strong enough.” Jesus is talking about mental toughness: courage and discipline.
This is mentioned in the context of this fable, because the Boy and the Man were both foolish and both wise, in different ways, at different times.
On the one hand, the Boy was foolish for lacking in one virtue or another in exceeding his safe depth. Perhaps the Boy did not know better and is faulted for acting without proper knowledge (a failure of wisdom); or, perhaps the Boy knew better but was undisciplined and could not help himself to stop (a failure of discipline). Either way, error followed the flaw.
On the other hand, the Man was wise enough if he knew of the lake’s depth and would have been disciplined enough to stay safe. Yet, the Man was foolish to chide the Boy with misplaced words. The Boy did not need mere words. The Boy did not need judgment or advice. The Boy needed action; that is, to be pulled out from the water. In this regard, the foolish Boy chided back at the chiding Man. Indeed, the chiding Man lacked the discipline to hold his tongue, or lacked the courage to jump into the water. Either way, error followed the flaw.
Right Choices. Go. Stop. Balanced and Harmonized Control. No one is perfect, but this is the path to perfection. Many of Aesop’s fables are lessons in wisdom. This fable is not necessarily focused on wisdom, per se, but, rather, wisdom’s complementing implementation virtues.
In London, King George, III, questioned the American-born painter, Benjamin West, what Gen. Washington would do now that Gen. Washington had won the war. “Oh,” said West, “they say he will return to his farm.” “If he does that,” said the king, “he will be the greatest man in the world.” King George saw it. Harmonized self-control.
George Washington was great, not only because he was able to Go, but, so much more rare to find in a man, George Washington was able to Stop.
“Enough is an abundance to the wise.” ~ Euripides
“If you know when you have enough, you will not be disgraced. If you know when to stop, you will not be endangered.” ~ Lao-tzu, Tao-te Ching
“I tell you, many will strive to enter through the narrow gate, but will not be strong enough.” ~ ONE®: The Unified Gospel of Jesus: 623
“I should not have opened by mouth.” ~ The Mounted Fish
“Dum scolaris studiis liber, frater eius manet in fossa.“ (“While the scholar studies the book, his brother remains in the ditch.“); “Superesse primum, ergo disputandum.” (“Live, then argue.”) ~ grz
© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Arnold Zegarelli can be contacted through Facebook.
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