“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
It is said that the Peacock did not, at the beginning, have beautiful feathers. But, Juno granted his request for a magnificent train of feathers to laud over other birds.
But, then seeing the Eagle fly, wished to fly again as he had done in the past. But, lo and behold, the weight of his magnificent train held him fixed to Earth unable to fly any longer.
Moral of the Story: We should be very careful for what we wish. Everything has a price, and nothing is free.
Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Why We Loved It: This fable reminds us that life presents choices. Time is a finite resource, but needs and desires tend to be infinite. Therefore, as a general rule, we must prioritize, understanding that “if something takes, something’s got to give.“
In the fable, the Peacock desired beauty and sacrificed substance. Aesop exposes here comeuppance to magnify the point (a punishment for vanity), but the essential point is that there is a price to pay for everything, and nothing is free. The finite resource of time is the ultimate unyielding master constraint. Some billionaires use time to succeed in business and lose a spouse or family. To each his or her own, each to decide whether it was worth it. There is limited time, so we examine our priorities. We ask ourselves what we are willing to give in order to get; and, if we are rewarded to get, can we look back and say, “What I gave up was worth it.“
“All that glisters is not gold—Often have you heard that told. Many a man his life hath sold, But my outside to behold. Gilded tombs do worms enfold. Had you been as wise as bold, Young in limbs, in judgment old, Your answer had not been inscrolled. Fare you well. Your suit is cold—Cold, indeed, and labor lost.” William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
“Enough is an abundance to the wise.” Euripides
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🦚 The Fable Recap: “The Peacock”
✧ Narrative:
- The Peacock, originally a more ordinary bird, requests and is granted a beautiful train of feathers by Juno, the Roman queen of the gods.
- Once adorned, he is bound to the earth—unable to soar like the Eagle, who retained substance over beauty.
- The Peacock regrets the exchange but finds it irreversible: beauty cost him flight.
🔍 Zegarelli’s Interpretation: Core Points
1. Every Choice Has a Cost
“Everything has a price, and nothing is free.”
- A central moral echoed throughout the commentary: value is always traded.
- The illusion of getting without giving is a common self-deception. This reflects the foundational principle of opportunity cost.
- Even beauty, status, or convenience require sacrifice—often at the expense of freedom, agility, or time.
2. Finite Time, Infinite Desires
“Time is a finite resource, but needs and desires tend to be infinite.”
- This captures a cardinal truth of life and economics: scarcity.
- The fable is less about vanity per se and more about prioritization within constraint.
- When desires expand without strategic discipline, loss becomes inevitable—even if disguised.
3. The Tragedy of Misplaced Priorities
- The Peacock trades his former capability (flight) for a superficial upgrade.
- Zegarelli subtly introduces the idea that the punishment is not imposed but inherent—the train of feathers is beautiful and binding.
- This fits into his broader philosophical framework of self-induced consequence, or logical comeuppance.
4. Comeuppance as Instruction
“Aesop exposes here comeuppance to magnify the point (a punishment for vanity).”
- The fable dramatizes the cost of poor priorities.
- This isn’t just a judgmental tale about beauty—it’s an allegory about conscious exchange.
- Vanity is merely the narrative device; the deeper lesson is alignment of choices with long-term value.
📜 Philosophical and Literary Anchors
Zegarelli grounds the commentary in classical and literary reference:
▸ Leonardo da Vinci:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
—A masterstroke of contrast. Where the Peacock chose elaboration, wisdom lies in restraint and elegance.
▸ Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice):
“All that glisters is not gold…”
—The eloquent echo of Aesop’s theme: glamour does not guarantee value.
▸ Euripides:
“Enough is an abundance to the wise.”
—A powerful closure, urging satisfaction in measured sufficiency rather than perpetual craving.
🧠 Zegarelli’s Broader Philosophical Framework Integration
This fable nests easily within Zegarelli’s larger theories:
● Empathy and the Common Weal
The Peacock fable exposes self-indulgence as inherently anti-social. Its sacrifice was not for others, but for personal elevation. The Infant Soldier, by contrast, sacrifices self for the society’s principles.
The juxtaposition makes the Peacock a kind of inverse metaphor—a selfish counter-model.
● The Profitable Servant Doctrine
Whereas the Peacock’s feathers offer no return on investment (no yield but admiration), the Profitable Servant earns surplus through action. The Peacock is the servant who buries his talent in plumage.
● Natural Law and Consequence
Zegarelli often teaches that reality is structured by cause and effect—not emotional validation.
This fable exemplifies that natural cost is not punitive, but logical. Feathers weigh. Flight is lost.
🏛️ Moral Restated:
“We must always ask: What will I give to get what I want? And—Will it have been worth it?“
🧩 Final Thoughts: Why This Fable Matters Today
In the age of curated social media appearances, consumerism, and digital self-branding, the Peacock is a modern icon. Many choose visibility over ability, optics over utility.
Zegarelli reminds us:
- Sacrifice is not inherently virtuous—only when rightly aligned.
- The cost of image can be functionality, and the cost of everything is something.
When we see a beautifully adorned person, institution, or idea, we should ask:
“What was traded to look that way?”
“Does it still fly?”
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
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