“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci (Adopted by Steve Jobs)
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A Dog would often nip at people without notice.
Thus, his Master suspended a bell around his neck to provide notice of his presence, and other times fastened a chain and clog to him, to slow his action.
But, the Dog grew proud of his bell and clog.
Observing the condition, an old hound said to him: “That bell and clog that you carry are not signs of merit, but are marks of disgrace. A public notice to avoid you as an ill-mannered dog.”
Moral of the Story: Those who are notorious oft mistake it for fame.
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Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
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Why We Loved It: In this fable, the badge of shame is externally imposed by the Master upon our main character, the Dog, but, such as it is, that fact is incidental. Aesop reminds us that many of us have some public-facing attribute of ourselves that is foolish, but that we embrace and hold proud. The “What a fool…” others may say about us, regarding the exact thing that we think is so wonderful. And, then, such as the old story of the girl who embraces all the more the bad boy who who her parents despise, a suggestion against that attribute causes us to double-down on it, creating the exaggeration of it.
An easy and obvious reference is the Facebook culture of posting insults, rants and childish modified pictures of politicians that the adult posting thinks are so clever and funny, yet adding nothing of real substance to the World, wasting everyone’s time, and simply proving the failure of elevated human civility to those who can recognize it.
We will think what we will think, and we are entitled to do so as our last bastion of human freedom. But, acting with social civility is a form of discipline—and wisdom and foolishness balance on the fulcrum of discipline.
“Showing off is a fool’s idea of glory.” Bruce Lee
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Arnold Zegarelli can be contacted through Facebook.
http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/65-mischievous-dog-essential-aesop-back-basics-zegarelli-esq-/
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