“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
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A Fox and an Ass foraged together.
But the Fox circumvented the Ass and approached the Lion submissively, “Your highness, if you spare me, I will lead the Ass into a pit, and you can feast at your pleasure.”
The Lion was pleased to agree.
Going back to the Ass, the Fox said, “Come, I know a good place to hide.” So the Fox led the Ass into a pit.
But the Lion, now seeing that the Ass was secured for his taking later, he started his meal with the traitor Fox.
Moral of the Story: Traitors to others excuse treachery to themselves. What goes around, comes around. Half-clever is not clever at all.
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Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Related Articles: Bad Bargains, Power, and Vulnerability By Temptation – No. 13. The Wolf and the Crane – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series; Mutual Loyalty. No. 21. The Two Travelers and the Purse – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series; Prove it! Words v. Action. No. 27. The Leap at Rhodes – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series; Jesus and the (Other) Greatest Commandment; I Never Promised to Love My Wife. Or, All About Oaths.
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Why We Loved It: We are reminded that loyalty is a bond, bonds create reliability, and reliability is a form of trust. Where there is no loyalty, self-interest tends to prevail. If the glue does not bond, the boards separate sooner or later, each moving by its natural tendency.
“After the war, Benedict Arnold resided in England. The British regarded him with ambivalence, while his former countrymen despised him.” Benedict Arnold Ambivalence and despise, traitor to one, disrespected and despised by both.
“He who has already drunk, turns his back on the well; and the orange already squeezed turns from gold into mud. When there is no longer dependence, good manners disappear, and so does esteem.” 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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