In a village lived a wise Scholar – an Economist, who was often approached by many kings to manage their Financial issues.
One day the Village Leader came to him and said sarcastically, “Master! You are a wise scholar, the whole world praises you! How come your son remains an utter fool? When I asked your son - which is valuable - gold or silver, he says silver.”
The scholar was upset, called his son and asked, “Which is more valuable – gold or silver?”
The Boy replied immediately, “Gold!”
The Father asked, “Then why did you tell the Village Leader that silver is more valuable?”
The boy replied, “Every day when I am on my way to school, he stops me. He holds a gold coin in one hand and a silver coin in the other hand and tells me “ ‘Take the coin which is more valuable of these two, Oh Scholar’s son!’ As soon as I take the silver coin, he and all the people sitting around him start cackling with sarcastic laughter. I just continue on my way to school. This has been happening since last one year and I have been getting a silver coin every day. I know that the day I take the gold coin, the game will stop and I will not receive any more coins. That is why…” The Scholar was stunned!
I agree that what the boy did was not honest since he was exploiting a situation. I do not even know what the boy’s father, who was a wise scholar, said to him. I do know however that we can use this technique for better human interaction to build relationship.
There are many such instances of such an interaction in families. Your child shares a joke with you that you already know but you pretend that you are hearing it for the first time and laugh heartily with him. He is pleased and that lays the foundation for future sharing of news good as well as bad, lines of communication get established. The teenage daughter who comes to her mother with a new recipe which the mother knows already but acts as if she is hearing it for the first time putting up with the daughter’s taunts as they prepare it together laying the path for such collaborations in the future. These types, of losing, leads to winning in family strengthening family bonds.
The newly wed daughter in law is insulted by her husband in front of her parents-in-law, who immediately turn on their son and correct him. Later the husband reveals to her that he done it deliberately to make her understand how much the parents-in-law love her and how they will support her.
In the Last Leaf by O' Henry tells the story of Johnsy, a critically poor woman afflicted with pneumonia who believes that she would die when the last leaf is shed by the ivy creeper that she can see from her window. Her neighbor, Behrman, an artist, paints a leaf on the wall to make her believe that the leaf has not fallen. So realistic is the painting that she takes hope from it and survives but the artist dies of pneumonia due to exposure. Similar theme was observed in another of O'Henry's short story called The Retrieved Reformation. In both cases the heroes know that they are going to be misunderstood but still do it.
In life, on several occasions, we often compromise so that others may enjoy. It does not mean that we have lost though others may think that they are victorious. It is only a perspective or point of view. It is however important that we be clear about which point of view is important.
“Magic always
happens when you direct your inner powers to the object you want to change.”
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