Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci (Adopted by Steve Jobs)
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The Hare was always boasting of his speed. “I have never yet been beaten,” he said. “I challenge anyone to race with me.”
The Tortoise said quietly, “I accept your challenge.”
With presumptuous ridicule of the Tortoise, the Hare darted out of sight at once. But feeling assured of an easy victory, the Hare soon decided to rest. Moreover, with arrogant contempt for the Tortoise, the Hare took a sound nap.
While the Hare slept, the Tortoise plodded on and plodded on. When the Hare finally awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post. It was too late for the Hare. He simply could not run fast enough in time to save the race.
Moral of the Story: Consistent, incremental, progress finally wins the race. Do not underestimate your adversary. Win first, then relax.
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Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Related Article: Vigilance for the Exception – No. 81. The One-Eyed Doe – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series
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Why We Loved It: One of the most famous of Aesop’s fables, the Tortoise and the Hare contains two important related lessons.
First, Aesop reminds us to put aside our self-presumptuous arrogance, and not to assume our own relative superiority or the inferiority of a competitor. We must continue to do our best, which makes the competitor immaterial. In truth, no one needs to be embarrassed for failing with a best effort, for both wisdom and strength are exhausted. For theists, even god or the gods could not ask for more than, “I did my best.” Trying our best is the antidote to regret.
The Hare was lazy and made a foolish decision. He arrogantly relied upon his natural gifts without applying the necessary effort. Silly Hare.
The second lesson is that slow, consistent and incremental progress can win the race. Like financial saving, a little a day adds up to success. Some people have natural gifts, and some people do not. Potential is a hypothetical. Effort can achieve a superior implementation. A piece of marble is only bottled-up potential until that potential is released and actualized by the master sculptor, with each little stroke.
Gold may be an inherently more attractive metal, but, if left unpolished, it must beware being outshined by polished brass.
“Polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold.” ~ Earl of Chesterfield
“Application and capacity. Eminence requires both. When both are present, eminence outdoes itself. The mediocre people who apply themselves go further than the superior people who don’t. Work makes worth. You purchase reputation with it. Some people are unable to apply themselves to even the simplest tasks. Application depends almost always on temperament. It is all right to be mediocre at an unimportant job: you can excuse yourself by saying you were cut out for nobler things. But to be mediocre at the lowest of jobs, rather than excellent at the highest, has no excuse at all. Both art and nature are needed, and application makes them complete.” ~ Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
“After about 2.5 hours of hard practice, I’m walking off the floor, like, drenched [in] sweat, tired. And, here comes Michael pushing me back on the floor, wanting to play a little one-on-one, wanting to see where his game was.” ~ James Worthy of Michael Jordan.
“As a man by practice acquires proficiency in his craft, so the earnest man acquires proficiency in goodness and wisdom. Men shrink from self-discipline because in its early stages it is painful and repellent, and the yielding to desire is, at first, sweet and inviting; but the end of desire is darkness and unrest, whereas the fruits of discipline are immortality and peace.” ~ James Allen, As a Man Thinketh
“By nature men are similar; by practice men are wide apart.” ~ Confucius
“The heights by great men reached and kept; Were not attained by sudden flight; But they, while their companions slept; Were toiling upwards in the night.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Ladder of St. Augustine
“Things done well, And with a care, exempt themselves from fear.” ~ William Shakespeare, Henry VIII, Act 1, Sc. 2
“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” ~ Charles Spurgeon
Compare not, unless against the measure of your own potential. ~ grz
And, of course, the bonus videos:
Looney Tunes | The Hare and Tortoise Re-Race | Classic Cartoon | WB Ki
Disney Silly Symphony – The Tortoise and the Hare
Bugs Bunny Cecil the Turtle Tortoise Beats Hare 1941
“Potentiale est solum hypotheticum.” (“Potential is only a hypothetical.”); “Non comparare nisi comparet ad propria potentia.” (“Compare not, unless against the measure of your own potential.”) ~ grz
© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Arnold Zegarelli can be contacted through Facebook.
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