KB’s post yesterday reminds me of the old Zen story (American version):
A man was running from a tiger but was stopped by a cliff. He thought he was a goner but he saw a vine, grabbed hold of it, and swung himself over the edge of the cliff… safe from the tiger’s jaws he thought.
Not really. Looking down he saw more hungry tigers on the ground below him. And even worse, a mouse above was gnawing through the base of the vine. At any moment he would fall to certain death. Then he noticed a wild strawberry growing on the cliff wall. Clutching the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other and put it in his mouth.
How sweet it was.
An extreme case of tragic optimism… life is never going to be perfect, focus on the things we value and have some control over. (Apparently in the original version the strawberry was poisonous. That’s tragic pessimism.)
June 2, 2022
this story sounds a lot like my version of murphy’s law, if anything can happen it probaby will. that has been proven over and over in my life time, for myself and watching family and friends. In other words. Life’s Hard! sound familar? I am thankful there are good things in between. I am a born pessimist so was daddy. plan for the worst, expect it to happen and if it doesn’t I will feel happy it did not.
I was amazed that things turned out so well for us. The advantage of low expectations plus a lot of appreciation. 🙂
I’ve also heard the zen story of the strawberry. ‘enjoy the moment!’
I don’t honestly know what I am! I’d like to think I’d have the mind and will to pluck a little strawberry when tigers were about tear me apart.
it’s simply our luck to be born on a planet where you either eat or are eaten!
Life is what it is. The important thing is what we choose to do about it. I would never get the strawberry…the tiger would have caught me a lot sooner than that. 😀
I have never heard this story, how tragic and pessimistic. But it does show you to enjoy whatever and whenever you can find.
Yes. 🙂
Tragic pessimism —or sardonic humor?
Some people are truly tragic pessimists. 🙁
For some reason, this jumped in my mind: “Better the devil you know!”
There’s a lot to be said for that.