One day, his horse ran away, and all the neighbors gathered in the evening and said ‘that’s too bad.’ He said ‘maybe.’
Next day, the horse came back and brought with it seven wild horses. ‘Wow!’ they said, ‘Aren’t you lucky!’
He said ‘maybe.’
The next day, his son grappled with one of these wild horses and tried to break it in, and he got thrown and broke his leg. And all the neighbors said ‘oh, that’s too bad that your son broke his leg.’
He said, ‘maybe.’
The next day, the conscription officers came around, gathering young men for the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. And the visitors all came around and said ‘Isn’t that great! Your son got out.’
He said, ‘maybe.’
5 comments:
lol - you're big on the whole external view
The next day Alex recounted this anecdote to some friends who were enthused and said "It's awesome!"
He said "maybe."
external view? I don't follow. Seems to be about keeping a steady keel if you ask me.
I mean he prefers to see things in perspective (i.e. by limiting personal judgment) rather than immersing himself into events.
- personally, I prefer a balance.
One could say that it's for fear of being judged, but we all know that that would be a load of crap. It may be in part due to it, but it would never be a primary reason. It would just be an excuse for those who feel threatened to pump their ego. As a matter of fact, I don't think there's any other purposes for insults.
BTW, this just goes to back my theory about the public's inability to think introvertedly...
PS: when do you say extrAverted and when do you say extrOverted?
wow - did I digress...
Steady keel, yes, as in equanimity. To keep an even disposition in any circumstance, allowing wiser judgment and behavior.
Restraint of immersion, yes, as in a moderation of passions to avoid being influenced by the body's chemical state of panic or by peer pressure.
The idea is to find a different kind of immersion, one which is not necessarily separated from direct experience.
The farmer is the figure of the wise old man. A man who is in tune with "how things deeply are" rather than in tune with the passions of the common man. He is immersed in a different kind of reality. The reality of a lifetime of contemplation of nature as a farmer.
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