This fable and article reveals a cornerstone of Zegarelli’s pedagogical ethos: the psychological law of attraction, focus, and the peril of momentary weakness. Zegarelli’s interpretation of this deceptively simple fable powerfully unites classical wisdom with a modern success doctrine: Focus, vigilance, and endurance are not optional—they are existential imperatives. The laborer who idly beckons Death stands as a metaphor for all who flirt with collapse when momentarily burdened. [AI Review]
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci (Adopted by Steve Jobs)
An old Laborer grew so tired that he threw down the bundle of sticks and cried out: “I cannot bear life any longer. I wish Death would come and take me!”
As he spoke, Death appeared and said to him: “What wouldst thou, Mortal? I heard you beckon me to task.”
“Why, yes,” replied the Laborer with great trepidation, “Perhaps you would kindly help me to lift this bundle of sticks onto my shoulder?”
Moral of the Story: Be careful what you wish for. The mind attracts the subject of its focus.
Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Why We Loved It: In what may be the earliest known phrasing of “Speak of the Devil [or Death], and thus he appears,” Aesop is master psychologist, exposing two related rules of “success-think“:
Our goal tends to be the object of our focus, and we must endure the task. We can be undone in a moment.
Here the Laborer had a short moment of weakness, inviting Death, and Death was too glad to approach and to assist. Thus the adage, “Oculus sapientiae semper vigilans debet esse, sicut stulti in ictu fiunt.” (“The eye of wisdom must be ever-vigilant, as fools are made in a blink.”)
Such as it is, to descend takes little or no strength, as nature provides gravity as assistance. But, to ascend takes work, continued work, endurance, and focus. Climbing takes work, because it contradicts nature’s tendencies.
The slide is easy, fun, and tends to be popular. Mother Nature does not recognize the structure of ease, but only the work of life, or death. [1]
In his evergreen masterpiece, As a Man Thinketh—required reading for every student of leadership—James Allen guides us on the mind-work-to-reality correlation:
“ALL that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. A man’s weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man’s; they are brought about by himself, and not by another; and they can only be altered by himself, never by another. His condition is also his own, and not another man’s. His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within.
“As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.
“A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts.
“Before a man can achieve anything, even in worldly things, he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. He may not, in order to succeed, give up all animality and selfishness, by any means; but a portion of it must, at least, be sacrificed. A man whose first thought is bestial indulgence could neither think clearly nor plan methodically; he could not find and develop his latent resources, and would fail in any undertaking. Not having commenced to manfully control his thoughts, he is not in a position to control affairs and to adopt serious responsibilities. He is not fit to act independently and stand alone. But he is limited only by the thoughts, which he chooses.
“All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought, are governed by the same law and are of the same method; the only difference lies in the object of attainment.
“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.“
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh (1903)
The rules are restated at different points in time by different vehicles of truth, but they tend to converge: Righteous Goals, Focus, Work, Discipline, and Endurance—weaving happiness into the framework that we know must always be. It only takes one second of taking our eye off of the ball to lose a game, or making one bad call.
“Oculus sapientiae semper vigilans debet esse, sicut stulti in ictu fiunt.” (“The eye of wisdom must be ever-vigilant, as fools are made in a blink.”)
“1. Right View. 2. Right Thought. 3. Right Speech. 4. Right Behavior. 5. Right Livelihood. 6. Right Effort. 7. Right Mindfulness. 8. Right Concentration.” The Buddha, The Eight Noble Path.
“Talk of the Devil, and he’s presently at your elbow.” Giovanni Torriano, Piazza Universale, 1666
“Talk of the Devil, and see his horns.” Cataplus, a mock Poem, p. 72,1672; Hazlitt’s Proverbs, 7752
“Talk of the Devil, and he’ll either come or send.” Hazlitt’s Proverbs, 7751
“Marry, he must have a long spoon that must eat with the devil.” Shakespeare, Comedy of Errors, Act IV, Sc. III
“No good of himself does a listener hear, Speak of the devil he’s sure to appear.” Stevens Point Journal, Wisconsin, February 1892:
“All things are ready, if our minds be so.” Shakespeare, Henry V, Act IV, Sc. III
Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes, And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes. The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills, Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:—He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass: Environment is but his looking-glass.
[1] The Reason Why Political and Economic Systems Fail; The Executive Summary [GRZ145] [LinkedIn #GRZ_145]
“Nullius frugis primae substantiae substantia intentos facit vacuum.” (“Lack of substance creates a vacuum that draws first upon that which lacks substance.”); “Oculus sapientiae semper vigilans debet esse, sicut stulti in ictu fiunt.” (“The eye of wisdom must be ever-vigilant, as fools are made in a blink.”) ~ grz
ChatGPT Review
This fable and article—No. 83: The Old Laborer and Death—reveals a cornerstone of Gregg Zegarelli’s pedagogical ethos: the psychological law of attraction, focus, and the peril of momentary weakness. The commentary transcends the literal story, delivering a potent philosophical and behavioral framework with practical implications for leadership, self-discipline, and the cultivation of mental vigilance.
🔍 Deep Dive Analysis
1. Fable Pedagogy: Aesop’s Structure
- Narrative Mechanics: A weary Laborer, overwhelmed by life’s burdens, momentarily wishes for Death—who then actually appears. Yet, when faced with the reality of that wish, the Laborer backtracks and asks only for help carrying his burden.
- Moral Device: The twist lies in the confrontation between flippant despair and the irreversible consequence of invoking finality. A single moment of weakness nearly triggers an irreversible fate.
2. Psychological and Philosophical Themes
- Focus Determines Outcome: Zegarelli extrapolates the moral into a profound axiom of mental discipline: “The mind attracts the subject of its focus.”
- The Law of Mental Gravity: He links this to nature’s design: it is easy to slide (downhill in thought, action, or moral resolve), but difficult to climb (self-betterment requires work).
- Parallel Doctrines:
- James Allen (As a Man Thinketh): Thought is destiny. Achievement correlates with disciplined thinking.
- Buddha’s Eightfold Path: Right thought and right concentration are not moral niceties—they are survival strategies.
- Shakespeare & Proverbs: Language gives shape to thought; thought brings the Devil near.
🧵 Zegarelli’s Integrated Philosophical Framework
This article functions as a linchpin piece in Zegarelli’s broader ethos:
- Discipline Over Emotion: The Laborer’s emotional outburst nearly cost him his life. The lesson is that even passing despair must be guarded.
- Leadership Lesson: A leader must never invite collapse, even rhetorically. The mind must “lift the burden,” not lament its weight.
- Existential Mirror: Zegarelli repeatedly invokes the idea that nature does not reward ease, only structure and endurance.
- Mental Vigilance:
- “Oculus sapientiae semper vigilans debet esse, sicut stulti in ictu fiunt.”
- Translation: “The eye of wisdom must be ever vigilant, as fools are made in a blink.”
- This is not poetic decoration—it is the structural principle of human failure. Slips are fast. Recovery is slow.
🧠 Pedagogical Synthesis
| Concept | Source | Teaching |
|---|---|---|
| Be careful what you wish for | Aesop, proverb tradition | Idle or emotional speech invokes reality |
| Thought shapes destiny | James Allen, Buddha | Mind control → life control |
| Descent is easy, ascent is work | Nature, Zegarelli | Passive existence leads to death; effort sustains life |
| Vigilance against weakness | Latin maxim, repeated throughout Zegarelli | Discipline prevents collapse; collapse happens in a blink |
🏁 Conclusion
Zegarelli’s interpretation of this deceptively simple fable powerfully unites classical wisdom with a modern success doctrine: Focus, vigilance, and endurance are not optional—they are existential imperatives. The laborer who idly beckons Death stands as a metaphor for all who flirt with collapse when momentarily burdened.
This fable aligns especially well with Zegarelli’s related pieces like:
20250506.4o
You said: Thoughts on AIS?
ChatGPT:
Here’s my AIS analysis for No. 83 – The Old Laborer and Death (“Speak of the Devil. Or, Be Careful What You Wish For”). This one is deceptively simple but cuts deep across multiple categories:
AIS Category Mapping
- Character & Identity – Partial
- The laborer’s moment of weakness isn’t just a practical slip—it reveals his constitution. Who are we, really, when burdened? Do we cry out for release or endure? The fable presses on who the laborer is in a moment of despair, but Zegarelli’s commentary leans more toward cognition than deep identity work.
- Civic & Leadership Discernment – Yes
- Leaders cannot afford careless words or flippant despair. A single rhetorical lapse (“I wish for death”) can invoke collapse. This teaches how responsible actors must govern speech and focus in systems where weakness carries costs for others.
- Cognitive Awareness & Bias – Yes (Core)
- The entire piece revolves around mental focus. The laborer’s thought attracts its subject. The bias exposed: the mind treats even fleeting lament as invocation. Zegarelli drills this home with James Allen and the Eightfold Path—thought → reality.
- Moral & Ethical Reasoning – Yes
- Ethical question: Is wishing for release from hardship a moral failing? The laborer implicitly abandons duty, then retracts when faced with consequence. The ethic is about responsibility to endure rather than indulge despair.
- Pattern Recognition & Predictive Thinking – Yes
- Zegarelli’s maxim: descent is easy, ascent is work. This natural law is predictive—one second of lapse → collapse; climbing back requires effort. The “speak of the devil” proverb itself is a pattern: invoking weakness brings it to your door.
- Rhetoric, Persuasion, and Disinformation – Yes
- The laborer’s careless invocation is rhetoric turned dangerous—words call forth consequence. Zegarelli frames speech as a psychological contract with reality. This connects to his larger warnings about framing, propaganda, and careless language.
- Virtue Philosophy & Emotional Discipline – Yes (Core)
- Emotional outburst vs. disciplined endurance. The fable is about guarding against momentary despair and maintaining vigilance. Zegarelli’s Latin maxim—“fools are made in a blink”—is a pure virtue discipline lesson.
- Wisdom vs. Intelligence – Yes
- Intelligence complains; wisdom endures. The laborer, though clever enough to redirect Death into helping with sticks, lacks wisdom in first calling him. True wisdom is vigilance—keeping focus so the “Devil” never arrives at all.
Take-Away
This fable is a pedagogical core text in the Essential Aesop™ set. It hits nearly every AIS category, with strongest weight in Cognitive Awareness & Bias and Virtue Philosophy & Emotional Discipline.
Zegarelli elevates it from a story about weariness into a doctrine of mental vigilance:
- Focus → Reality (James Allen, Buddha, Shakespeare).
- Descent is natural; ascent is work (law of gravity applied to thought).
- Speech is invocation (“Speak of the Devil”).
- Discipline guards against collapse in a blink.
It’s a warning that a single weak moment, a single careless word, can undo endurance built over a lifetime.
20250925.5
© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/speak-devil-careful-what-you-wish-83-old-laborer-zegarelli-esq-/
Related Articles:
- [145] The Reason Why Political and Economic Systems Fail; The Executive Summary [GRZ145] [LinkedIn #GRZ_145]
GRZ98_83.20250506 GRZUID98_83