Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~Leonardo da Vinci (Adopted by Steve Jobs)
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A Fox saw a Crow settle onto a branch with a large piece of cheese in its mouth. “Good day, Mistress Crow,” the Fox cried.
“How beautiful your feathers and eyes! I am sure your voice surpasses other birds. Pray sing me a song that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds!”
The Crow, quite full of herself for the words, lifted her head and began to sing. But, as she did so, it was only to let the cheese fall to the ground for the Fox to enjoy for his lunch.
Moral of the Story. Do not trust flatterers. We are manipulated by our desire for validation.
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Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Related Articles: He Who Feeds Us Enslaves Us – The Business of Aesop™ No. 64 – The Dog and the Wolf; Enslavement by Desire. Or, the Risk of Asking for Favors – No. 67. The Horse, Hunter and Stag – The Essential Aesop™-Back to Basics Abridgment Series; The Insecure Human Being – The Business of Aesop™ No. 51 – A Fox Without a Tail; Self-Validation and Envy – No. 2. The Frog and the Ox – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series;Being Naive – No. 42. The Wolf and the Goat – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series; Dependency. Or, He Who Feeds Us Enslaves Us – No. 64. The Dog and the Wolf – The Essential Aesop™- Back to Basics Abridgment Series
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Why We Loved It: This is one of Aesop’s most powerful fables, with all the more importance in today’s Facebook addictive “Likes” culture. Lady Bird Crow was flattered out of her meal by the clever Fox. He knew her “lever” and he used it as a tool of manipulation. The power of this fable is discussed more fully in the Epilogue.
We know that desires naturally seek satisfaction. A person without desires is not thereby driven into seeking satisfaction. Satisfying desires is like creating a dependency, sometimes an addictive dependency. And woe to the person who desires (or needs) to be validated, particularly by externals, or “Likes.” He who has the power to satisfy our needs thereby enslaves us. Some things really are needs of life, other things are desires that we “voluntarily” turn into needs not by the objective standards, but by our individual weakness to meet those standards. No person is an island, but that person who is immune from the vicissitudes of external praise or ridicule—being self-validated—is truly free.
“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~ONE®: The Unified Gospel of Jesus: 2516
“There be so many false points of praise, that a man may justly hold it a suspect. Some praises proceed merely of flattery; and if he be an ordinary flatterer, he will have available certain common epithets which may serve every man; if he be a cunning flatterer, he will follow the arch-flatterer, which is a man’s self, and wherein a man thinketh best of himself, therein the flatterer will uphold him most.” ~ Francis Bacon. The Essays.
“If someone has found out what perfection is, he will value it wherever it appears. Praise offers subjects for conversation and for imitation. It is an urbane way to recommend courtesy to those who accompany you. Some people do the opposite: they always find something to criticize, flattering those present by scorning those absent. This works with superficial people who are unaware of the trick: speaking ill of one to speak ill of the other. Other people make it a habit to admire the mediocrities of today more than the eminences of yesterday. Let the prudent person see through both of these ruses, giving in neither to exaggeration nor to flattery. And let him realize that these critics take the same approach no matter whose company they are in.” ~ Baltasar Gracian. The Art of Worldly Wisdom.
“Find each person’s ‘handle,’ his weak point. The art of moving people’s wills involves more skill than determination. You must know how to get inside the other person. Each will has its own special object of delight; they vary according to taste. Everyone idolizes something. Some want to be well thought of, others idolize profit, and most people idolize pleasure. The trick is to identify the idols that can set people in motion. It is like having the key to someone else’s desires. Go for the ‘prime mover,’ which isn’t always something lofty and important. Usually it is something low, for the unruly outnumber the well ruled. First size up someone’s character and then touch on his weak point. Tempt him with his particular pleasure, and you’ll checkmate his will.“~ Baltasar Gracian. The Art of Worldly Wisdom
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Arnold Zegarelli can be contacted through Facebook.
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