“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
A Rabbit left home to get dinner.
While he was gone, a Weasel entered the Rabbit’s home with the intent to stay. When the Rabbit returned, the presence of the Weasel caused a great argument.
A Cat heard of the dispute and kindly offered to settle it.
“Come closer,” said the Cat, “I wish to hear each of you on this matter, but am old and hard of hearing.”
So, the Rabbit and the Weasel went close to the Cat upon which the Cat seized both of them for a special feast. “It is settled then,” said the Cat.
Moral of the Story: Beware of the strong who have an interest to settle a matter or advise to their own advantage.
Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Why We Loved It: This fable reminds us that it may be good to have a powerful dog, but the leash only contains the dog while the dog is pulling away. Thus, the adage, “Lorum lorum dominum non protegit si canis circum volvitur.” (“The leash does not protect the master, if the dog should turn around.”) This is the risk of having a powerful ally or self-interested arbitrator, or even allowing trust to create catastrophic vulnerability.
Aesop reminds to consider bias and self-interest in the process by which issues are resolved by others. With some limited exception, the natural tendency of things is self-interest. Survival first and comfort second. Aesop teaches about Wisdom, which takes the attributes of context as they actually are or could be, without delusive feel-good hope that tends to adduce the Fool. “What if my loving now-getting-older hot hungry Pitt Bull should turn on my children when they pull his tail in jest?” Wisdom suggests that everyone has a bad day, perhaps not probable, but potentially catastrophic. Hope is a fool’s bait.
Sage Aesop teaches often for us to be most careful with trusting another who is both biased by self-interest and also powerful. In The Lion’s Share, the focus was on how power of justifies its own advantage. In The Tortoise and the Birds, the focus was on the temptation of a mercenary.
Here, Aesop perhaps puts the concepts together: the smug Cat cleverly settled the problem as promised, by making a meal for himself of the litigants. An acceptable loophole, at least to the hungry deciding cat. “Praeiudicio sine virtute est incorporeus. Virtus sine praeiudicio rara est.” (“Bias without power is immaterial. Power without bias is rare.”)
Trust, hope, belief, faith, and prayer all important, but they all have a precise proper scope and application, because each tends to imply vulnerability. Getting help is one thing, consenting to vulnerability is not the same thing. Aesop gives the food for thought in many different clever presentations, unsettling perhaps, until it gets digested.
Alas, “Tu scis quod incipias cognoscere lectionem, cum id scire times.” (“You know that you are starting to understand the lesson, when you are afraid to know it.”)
“Lorum lorum dominum non protegit si canis circum volvitur.” (“The leash does not protect the master, if the dog should turn around.”); “Praeiudicio sine virtute est incorporeus. Virtus sine praeiudicio rara est.” (“Bias without power is immaterial. Power without bias is rare.”); “Tu scis quod incipias cognoscere lectionem, cum id scire times.” (“You know that you are starting to understand the lesson, when you are afraid to know it.”); “Spes stultorum esca est.” (“Hope is a fool’s bait.”) ~ grz
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Gregg Zegarelli’s “Self-Interested Advice – No. 41 – The Rabbit, Weasel and Cat” fable stands out as a prime exemplar of his layered pedagogy on bias, power, and trust—a recurrent triad in his moral-philosophical ethos. Below is a structured breakdown of its teaching method, ethical implications, thematic resonance with other Zegarelli works, and its possible placement within the broader AIS (Applied Intelligence Series) or Business of Aesop™ context.
🧠 Core Fable Takeaway
Moral (Simple): “Beware of the strong who have an interest to settle a matter or advise to their own advantage.”
This moral anchors the story in one of Aesop’s most unsettling lessons: that seeking help from the powerful or biased is often an invitation to be devoured—figuratively or literally. Zegarelli expands the original Aesopic parable into a broader caution about institutional trust, arbitration, and the cost of convenience.
🔎 Philosophical and Pedagogical Analysis
1. Bias + Power = Predation
Zegarelli’s Latin distillation:
“Praeiudicio sine virtute est incorporeus. Virtus sine praeiudicio rara est.”
“Bias without power is immaterial. Power without bias is rare.”
This aphorism encapsulates the tragic logic of the fable: bias becomes dangerous when it has the teeth of power. A mere opinion is not lethal—but opinion armed with enforcement capacity is catastrophic.
2. The Mirage of Neutrality in Arbitration
The Cat in this story masks its interest behind feigned impartiality. The fable thus critiques any system or person that pretends neutrality while secretly benefiting from conflict resolution. This has strong implications for:
- Biased arbitrators
- Conflicted judges
- Corporate mediators with market interests
- Politicians “solving” problems they helped create
This resonates directly with legal scenarios—such as Zegarelli’s critiques in Stand for America: The Duty of Trust [GRZ50] and Bias [GRZ91].
3. The Risk of Trust and the Fallacy of Safety
Zegarelli writes:
“Hope is a fool’s bait.”
and
“Getting help is one thing, consenting to vulnerability is not the same thing.”
Here, trust and hope are shown not as virtues-in-themselves but as instruments—tools to be carefully applied, not blindly bestowed. This distinction is essential in Zegarelli’s ethos, especially in the Aesopic framing of legal, civic, and interpersonal dynamics. Trust must be disciplined, not indiscriminate.
🏛️ Integration with Zegarelli’s Broader Ethos
| Related Article | Thematic Link |
|---|---|
| [GRZ98_53] The Lion’s Share | Power justifies its own advantage; shares no equity. |
| [GRZ98_72] The Tortoise and the Birds | Temptation to be carried by mercenaries; danger in seeking help with strings attached. |
| [GRZ98_86] The Lion, Fox and Beasts | Hidden traps in apparent generosity from those in power. |
| [GRZ50] The Duty of Trust | Reframes trust as a civic duty, not blind faith. |
| [GRZ91] Bias | Foundational critique of bias—integrates into his Pro-Life or Pro-Choice? thesis. |
| [GRZ36X] The Fox Without a Tail | Insecurity and persuasive self-interest disguised as advice. |
| [GRZ148] Character vs. Virtue | Sharpens the difference between appearance of virtue and substantive integrity. |
📚 AIS Curriculum Fit
This fable could serve as an early-to-mid-level module in an AIS curriculum under the following themes:
- Cognitive Discernment: Teaching students to detect manipulative benevolence (false saviors, trusted advisors with conflict).
- Ethical Decision-Making: How power asymmetries distort negotiations and conflict resolution.
- Civic Responsibility: Evaluating leadership or institutions on interest alignment, not just authority.
- Crisis Governance: Understanding how emergency arbitrators may exploit chaos for self-gain.
💬 Latin Maxims – Didactic Impact
Each Latin phrase enriches the fable beyond its narrative structure:
| Latin Phrase | Translation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| “Lorum lorum dominum non protegit si canis circum volvitur.” | The leash does not protect the master if the dog should turn around. | Powerful metaphor for trust in dangerous allies. |
| “Praeiudicio sine virtute est incorporeus…” | Bias without power is immaterial. Power without bias is rare. | Establishes a general rule for risk analysis. |
| “Tu scis quod incipias cognoscere lectionem…” | You know you’re starting to understand the lesson when you’re afraid to know it. | Signals the pedagogical disquiet central to real wisdom. |
| “Spes stultorum esca est.” | Hope is a fool’s bait. | Strips romanticism from naive trust. |
These are not just decorative Latin; they serve as epistemic anchors—philosophical concision tools that summarize emotional and logical danger.
🧩 Conclusion & Ranking
This fable is a cornerstone of Zegarelli’s ethos on bias, vulnerability, power, and the illusion of benevolence in conflict resolution. It likely belongs in the Top 20 AIS articles and could be seen as the thematic converging point between:
- The fables of predatory arbitration (GRZ98_53, GRZ98_72)
- The essays on trust, bias, and civic discernment (GRZ91, GRZ50, GRZ148)
It teaches the art of not merely knowing whom to trust—but knowing when and why trust becomes dangerous.
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/self-interested-advice-41-rabbit-weasel-cat-aesop-zegarelli-esq-
Related Article:
- [36] The Insecure Human Being – The Business of Aesop™ No. 51 – A Fox Without a Tail [GRZ36X] [LinkedIn #GRZ_36]
- [91] Pro-Life or Pro-Choice? Chapter 1, Bias [GRZ91] [LinkedIn #GRZ_91]
- [98_53] Absolute Power Resolves to Self-Interest – No. 53. The Lion’s Share – Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_53] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_53]
- [50] The Duty of Trust – Stand for America® [GRZ50] [LinkedIn #GRZ_50]
- [98_86] Trust, but Verify; or, Vigilance for the Trap – No. 86. The Lion, Fox and Beasts – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_86] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_86]
- [98_72] Is It Worth It? – No. 72. The Tortoise and the Birds – The Essential Aesop™- Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_72] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_72]
- [148] Critical Thinking and the Conflation of Character, Integrity, Goodness and Virtue [GRZ148] [LinkedIn #GRZ_148]
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