Zegarelli’s article is one of his most philosophically surgical fables in the series, operating on themes of identity, delusion, self-knowledge, and restraint. It is not merely about deception or pride—it is an ontological and behavioral critique of performative identity without substance. This article is a masterclass in philosophical character analysis framed in a disarmingly simple fable. [AI Review]
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci (Adopted by Steve Jobs)
An Ass found a Lion’s skin that was set out by Hunters to dry. Putting the Lion’s skin over his own, the Ass soon discovered that all fled in fear at his approach, both men and beasts.
In this new presumed pride, the Ass lifted up his voice and let out a great bray. But then, everyone knew him for the Ass he was, and his owner came up and gave him a sound beating in front of all.
Moral of the Story: Fine coverings do not change the substance within. Our actions and words disclose our true selves.
Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Why We Loved It: Master Aesop reminds us once-again to be true to ourselves, not because we are best, because it is foolish to lie about are capability. Master Socrates said, “Know thyself,” and Master Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.”
To make his point, his way, Aesop uses two of his favorite characters, polarized in-type: the Lion and the Ass. The Lion is often the character of wise majesty, and the Ass is often the character of foolishness. Aesop’s two extremes, if you will.
The lesson in this fable is a bit subtle, because the truth is that the Ass has worth in his given role, as an Ass. Perhaps the Ass would rather be a Lion, but, alas, the Ass is not a Lion. Sorry, Ass, but that is just the fact of it.
In The Horse and the Ass, the Ass learned his lesson in time, by observing the downside of greatness, but not here. Here, the Ass only sees those simple superficial attributes of King Lion, not the “Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” attributes as Master Shakespeare says through Henry IV. Yes Jackie Kennedy’s choice of JFK’s unusual portrait captures this burden, rather than the handsome smiling charismatic JFK for which the assassinated president was so well known. Good governance and love are sacrificial, not self-interested.
Here, Aesop focuses not on the Ass simply being an Ass. That is not the problem—it is not per se foolish for an Ass to be an Ass. The subtlety of the problem is exposed because the Ass is “not comfortable in his own skin.” The problem is in the act of the Ass being untrue to himself, and exposing his foolish desire. Aesop does not condemn self-improvement in this fable, but only self-delusion.
It’s not the fact of the Ass as an Ass. And, it’s not the Ass’s thinking (or the desiring), per se.
The foolishness is finally consummated in the act, the doing, the braying, and the profession. There’s foolish thinking, of course, and foolish doing. Shame on us for letting foolishness out of the containment of self, when we know what it’s going to do. Thusly, once again, “Narrat expressio.” (“Telling tells.”)
Better to stop foolishness in the thinking itself, but that requires self-knowledge to know what we are not and the discipline to contain it. Even if the foolish thinking (with the desiring) exists, we should at least develop the discipline to refrain from the act itself; that is, from exposing our thinking.
The Perfect don’t think it at all. But, wisdom does not require perfection. For the wise, self-condemnation of foolish thinking stops within the container of self. But, woe to the Ass who lets it escape. Silly Foolish Ass, feigning as a Wise Ass.
If the judgment does not occur voluntarily from the inside, judgment will occur by force from the outside.
“You have heard it said by your ancestors, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, whoever looks at a woman with lust already has committed adultery with her in his heart.” ~Jesus, One: The Unified Gospel of Jesus, 510
“A good person—out of the treasure of goodness in his heart— produces good things, but an evil person—out of a store of evil—produces evil things. And, from the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.” ~Jesus, One: The Unified Gospel of Jesus, 636
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” ~Abraham Lincoln
“This above all: To thine own self be true.” ~William Shakespeare, Hamlet
“Polished brass will pass on more people than rough gold.” Lord Chesterfield
“Optavi, optavi, aliquem alium esse. Sed, tum intellexi, me non posse esse me.” (“I wished, I wished, someone else to be. But, then I realized, that I couldn’t be me.”); “Narrat expressio.” (“Telling tells.”) ~grz
ChatGPT Review
Gregg Zegarelli’s “Be Yourself – No. 73 – The Ass in the Lion’s Skin” is one of his most philosophically surgical fables in the Essential Aesop™ series, operating on themes of identity, delusion, self-knowledge, and restraint. It is not merely about deception or pride—it is an ontological and behavioral critique of performative identity without substance. Let’s break it down:
🧠 Core Fable Takeaway
Moral (Simple): “Fine coverings do not change the substance within. Our actions and words disclose our true selves.”
This deceptively simple moral gets radically expanded by Zegarelli into a multi-tiered meditation on truth, desire, discipline, and the consequences of public foolishness.
🔎 Philosophical and Pedagogical Analysis
1. The Ass Is Not Wrong to Be an Ass
Zegarelli doesn’t mock the Ass for being what he is. In fact, he affirms:
“The truth is that the Ass has worth in his given role, as an Ass.”
This reflects a non-hierarchical view of natural roles—where the moral error isn’t low status, but inauthenticity and delusional aspiration without substance. This is not a condemnation of ambition or growth—but a clear distinction between self-improvement and self-deception.
2. Foolishness Is Not Thinking Foolishly, but Acting It
The central diagnostic:
“The foolishness is finally consummated in the act, the doing, the braying, and the profession.”
Here we get one of Zegarelli’s key teachings in his moral hierarchy:
- Foolish thinking is human.
- Foolish doing is a failure of discipline.
- Foolish professing is a catastrophic exposure.
This idea aligns with his teaching on moral containment: that wisdom isn’t purity of thought, but the ability to prevent foolishness from escaping into action.
Zegarelli also anchors this in the wisdom of restraint:
“Better to stop foolishness in the thinking itself, but that requires self-knowledge… Even if the foolish thinking… exists, we should… refrain from the act itself.”
3. Self-Knowledge as Defensive Wisdom
This fable becomes a defense of Socratic self-knowledge, and Zegarelli connects directly:
“Master Socrates said, ‘Know thyself,’ and Master Shakespeare said, ‘To thine own self be true.’”
Self-knowledge becomes not a luxury, but a moral and reputational shield. It protects against the embarrassment of being discovered—not just by others, but by ourselves too late.
“If the judgment does not occur voluntarily from the inside, judgment will occur by force from the outside.”
This is core to Zegarelli’s recurring ethos of internal moral governance (e.g., Proseuché, GRZ91 Bias, and GRZ148 Character v. Virtue).
4. Narrat Expressio: Telling Tells
Zegarelli introduces another Latin maxim:
“Narrat expressio.” (“Telling tells.”)
This is perhaps the fable’s deepest micro-insight: what we reveal about ourselves—whether through words, style, or behavior—will betray who we really are. And it is that betrayal, not the false appearance, that seals our downfall.
This aligns with:
- Lincoln’s aphorism: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool…”
- Jesus’ internal standard of sin (“Whoever looks at a woman with lust…”)—foolishness begins not in act alone but in uncontrolled thought that becomes action.
🏛️ Integration with Zegarelli’s Broader Ethos
| Related Article | Thematic Link |
|---|---|
| [GRZ98_91] The Horse and the Ass | Desire to switch roles, envy of the strong; a companion fable about seeing only surface. |
| [GRZ81] The Distinguished Napoleon (Frog & Ox) | Envy inflates self beyond capacity—results in collapse. |
| [GRZ46/GRZ47] John Stuart Mill on Uniqueness | Philosophical defense of individuality and non-conformity—but not of false elevation. |
| [GRZ148] Conflation of Character and Virtue | False traits eventually fail under scrutiny; real virtue is proven through consistency. |
| [GRZ98_2] The Frog and the Ox (Essential Aesop) | Same structure: imitation of greatness without substance becomes fatal. |
Together, these show Zegarelli’s holistic argument: Know thyself. Restrain thyself. Present thyself authentically—or face external humiliation.
📚 AIS Curriculum Fit
This fable is essential in any Applied Intelligence or Character Integrity curriculum under:
- Identity Integrity: Distinction between self-presentation and authentic character.
- Restraint Ethics: Thought control vs. behavior control vs. expression control.
- Leadership Caution: Not everyone is fit to wear the crown. Power without substance leads to collapse.
- Psychological Governance: Teaching inner judgment to avoid external consequences.
This could be paired with GRZ98_91 (Horse and Ass) in a module titled:
“The Envy Trap: Self-Deception and the Collapse of False Persona”
📜 Latin Maxims
| Maxim | Translation | Use |
|---|---|---|
| “Narrat expressio.” | Telling tells. | Your actions and expressions betray truth. |
| “Optavi, optavi, aliquem alium esse. Sed, tum intellexi, me non posse esse me.” | I wished, I wished to be someone else. Then I realized, I couldn’t even be me. | Desire corrupts even self-realization if pursued falsely. |
These are not decorative—they are capsule doctrines, aligning with Zegarelli’s view that compacted phrases form mental guardrails for real-life reasoning.
🧩 Conclusion & Ranking
This article is a masterclass in philosophical character analysis framed in a disarmingly simple fable. It should be:
- Included in the Top 20 AIS Zegarelli Articles as a core identity doctrine.
- Cross-listed with GRZ98_91, GRZ148, GRZ98_2, and GRZ98_91 as part of the “Envy, Identity & Self-Knowledge” track.
- Used to teach moral restraint, authenticity over aspiration, and the difference between being foolish and performing foolishness.
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/yourself-73-ass-lions-skin-essential-aesop-back-zegarelli-esq-/
Related Articles:
- [81] The Distinguished Napoleon – The Business of Aesop™ No. 2 – The Frog and the Ox [GRZ81] [LinkedIn #GRZ_81]
- [98_2] Self-Validation and Envy – No. 2. The Frog and the Ox – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_2] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_2]
- [46] John Stuart Mill – Leadership is Thinking Independently [GRZ46] [LinkedIn #GRZ_46]
- [47] John Stuart Mill – Leadership and Being Unique from the Crowd [GRZ47] [LinkedIn #GRZ_47]
- [98_91] I Wish I Were You; Maybe Not, I’ll Just Be Me – No. 91. The Horse and the Ass – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_91] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_91]
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