A Fox was once caught in a trap by his tail, and in order to get away was forced to leave it behind. Knowing that without a tail he would be a laughingstock for all his fellows, he resolved to try to induce them to part with theirs. So at the next assembly Foxes he made a speech on the unprofitableness of tails in general, and the inconvenience of a Fox’s tail in particular, adding that he had never felt so easy as since he had given up his own. When he had sat down, a sly old fellow rose, and waving his long bush with a graceful air, said, with a sneer, that if, like the last speaker, he had lost his tail, nothing further would have been needed to convince him; but till such an accident should happen, he would certainly vote in favor of tails.
Guard against those who would wish you to be reduced to their own level.
Aesop, 6th Century
Hello coffee lovers and avid readers! Welcome to Olive’s School at Olive’s Café, where you explore life lessons told by great Grandpa Aesop.
Reading this fable reminds me of how people like to encourage others to always brighten their light, no matter who hates it. The fable reminds us that when someone is miserable, or they see something that they want but don’t have, they tend to persuade people that what they’re doing or what they have is too much and it causes inconvenience to everyone else, whether it’s luxury items or traveling around the world. People always come up with problems that have nothing to do with anyone else, and we can always see this happening in social media, so I believe that this fable can be used today.
As for me, this fable makes me feel that I should make it a mission to let people know to never dim their light for someone else’s comfort. If they don’t like it, then they can always leave people alone. Even for myself, we should always strive for the best and succeed in our own right. Everyone, including myself, should achieve greatness and no one should go out of their own way to stop us from doing so.
The quote should be passed on between relationships and friendships and should be applied at any time we feel that someone, whether online or in real life, wants to dim our light. This quote protects us from having to change something about ourselves that doesn’t bother anyone around us, but rather makes us unique about ourselves. The quote tells us to protect our assets and uniqueness, and to never lower our standards just so that someone is comfortable. This quote also gives us an opportunity to be kind to others and to always congratulate others for their achievements rather than hinder them from succeeding. I believe that anyone, and everyone, can read this fable and relate to the context of it, and be able to use the quote today; telling anyone that if they would lose a certain quality about themselves, then they would convince others to keep theirs. If I came across anyone who told me to lower my standards, or hide a certain quality in my life, I would reject their advice, even tell them to kick rocks, and continue to flaunt my unique quality.
Remember, people don’t have the right to tell you to hide your true self, and you should always shine the brightest, whether the day is dark or light. Be like the Fox with the beautiful tail; when you got it, flaunt it like there’s no tomorrow.
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