Short Moral stories
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated!
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak”
– Hans Hofmann
“Perhaps this sounds very simple, but simple things are always the most difficult. In actual life, it requires the greatest discipline to be simple, and the acceptance of oneself is the essence of the moral problem and the epitome of a whole outlook upon life.“
– Carl Jung
As truly said by Confucius, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
Let’s read the below story to understand the meaning of the quote!
There was once a wealthy man who was suffering from severe Eye Pain. He consulted many doctors, however, no treatment helped relieve his pain and the condition continued to worsen each day.
One day, the wealthy man heard of a monk who was renowned for being an expert and treating even the most difficult problems. The man reached out to the monk and shared his ailment. To his surprise, the monk did not write down any medication, instead told, “This moment on, you should only concentrate on green colors, try not to look at anything that is not green”.
The man found the prescription very strange but since he was desperate to find a cure, he decided to give it a try. He purchased quantities of green paint and summoned a group of painters. He directed that every object within his sight be painted green. Within a few days, everything around the man was green-colored. he avoided venturing out of the house in the apprehension of spotting something that is not Green.
A few days later, The Monk decided to pay his patient a visit. As soon as the monk entered the house, a servant rushed with the bucket of green paint and hastily poured it all over the Monk. The Monk calmly enquired why the servant did so and he replied, “You were wearing saffron clothes and we cannot let master see any color other than green.”
The monks smiled and said, “If only he had purchased the pair of green-colored eyeglasses instead! The glasses would have saved him a big Fortune and you all this effort. You cannot paint the world green, my friend.”
Moral of the Story
It is not wise to change the world to a liking, prior to correcting ourselves. Before concluding that the problem lies with someone/something else, we should shape our perspective.
Overcomplicating issues tend to consume an unnecessary amount of energy and resources.
Be creative and as far as possible, devise simple cost and effort-effective solutions. Being knowledgeable is acquiring facts, and being wise is simplifying them.