“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
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A Shepherd Boy was bored and found his job of tending to the village Sheep very dull. So, to create some excitement, the Boy cried, “Wolf!, Wolf!” knowing that the villagers would come running.
And, indeed, when the Villagers heard the Boy’s cry for help, they came running. But, alas, there was no wolf. The Boy laughed for the trick, saying, “It was just a joke!” angering the Villagers.
A few days later, the Boy played the trick again, with exactly the same result.
Then, one day soon after, a snarling pack of Wolves really did come upon the Boy and the Sheep. Terrified, the Boy called to the Villagers, “Wolf!, Wolf!”
But, the Villagers said to each other, “He cannot trick us again!” And, so they ignored the Boy.
The pack of Wolves then killed a great many of the Sheep. And when the Villagers finally did come, they found the Boy in a tree shivering and crying, with the destruction of their village investment.
Moral of the Story: Those who lie cannot be trusted. Integrity is reliability, reliability is words matched to truth.
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Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
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Why We Loved It: This fable is the origin of the phrase, “crying wolf,” “to cry wolf” and similar phrases, which indicates saying something that is not true now but may become true later, or simply lack of reliability. The lesson is pervasive for excellent business service, reminding us to match our words to action: “I will deliver on Tuesday,” “I will call you back,” “The check is in the mail.” “Right, Frank said it will get delivered by end of week, but he’s said that before. He’s always crying wolf!”
Related Article: Jesus and the (Other) Greatest Commandment
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Arnold Zegarelli can be contacted through Facebook.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/integrity-reliability-16-boy-who-cried-wolf-aesop-zegarelli-esq-
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