AESOPS' FABLES
The Goatherd and the Wild Goats
A GOATHERD, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, found some Wild Goats mingled among them, and shut them up together with his own for the night. The next day it snowed very hard, so that he could not take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to keep them in the fold.
He gave his own goats’ just sufficient food to keep them alive, but fed the strangers more abundantly in the hope of enticing them to stay with him and of making them his own.
When the thaw set in, he led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered away as fast as they could to the mountains. The Goatherd scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd.
One of them, turning about, said to him: "That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterday treated us better than the Goats you have had so long, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves."
He gave his own goats’ just sufficient food to keep them alive, but fed the strangers more abundantly in the hope of enticing them to stay with him and of making them his own.
When the thaw set in, he led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered away as fast as they could to the mountains. The Goatherd scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd.
One of them, turning about, said to him: "That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterday treated us better than the Goats you have had so long, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves."
Art of War MAXIMS
1.9. The COMMANDER stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness.
4.4. Hence the saying: One may KNOW how to conquer without being able to DO it.
11.56. Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man.
12.15. Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general stagnation.
4.4. Hence the saying: One may KNOW how to conquer without being able to DO it.
11.56. Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man.
12.15. Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general stagnation.
INSIGHT
In the pursuit of victory and defeat, character assumes a significant role. As Aristotle eloquently stated, "Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts."
The Goatherd, inspired by the spirit of enterprise, sought to conquer and tame the Wild Goats. However, his attempts proved futile. Though he believed he possessed the knowledge to achieve success, he fell short.
His failure stemmed from his failure to treat the Wild Goats as he treated his current herd. Instead of approaching them as individuals, he neglected to acknowledge their unique nature and needs. This led to discord and dissatisfaction among both groups.
Ultimately, the Goatherd upset the Wild Goats by providing them with more feed, while simultaneously unsettling his current herd by depriving them of the same attention and nourishment. Inequality emerged, creating a rift that hindered his desired outcomes.
Using inequality as a tool to achieve goals is a formidable challenge. It is a delicate art that demands great skill and finesse.