One day, the North Wind said to the Sun, “I hear everyone praises you and says that without you, the world would be dark. I don’t quite agree. I think I’m pretty strong too. Why don’t we have a contest to see who’s stronger?”
The Sun smiled and said, “Actually, none of that matters. People say what they want, but there’s no need to take it seriously.” But the North Wind insisted on a contest. Pointing to a man walking in the distance, it said, “Look at that man over there wearing a cloak. Let’s see who can make him take off his cloak. The winner is the one who succeeds!”
The Sun thought about it and agreed. The contest began.
The north wind thought, “This is easy. I’ll just blow on him and his cloak will fly away.” It took a deep breath and blew hard, and the wind immediately began to blow.
The traveler was blown back and forth, and his cloak fluttered in the wind. It looked like it was about to be blown away, but he quickly grabbed hold of it even tighter.
Seeing that it hadn’t worked, the North Wind felt a bit defeated and blew even harder. This time, the wind was even stronger, and the small trees around them were blown this way and that. But the traveler didn’t let go; instead, he wrapped his cloak even tighter around himself.
The north wind blew harder and harder, several times in a row, each gust stronger than the last. But the stronger the wind blew, the more nervous the pedestrian became, and the tighter he held on to his cloak. Finally, the north wind was exhausted and couldn’t blow any harder, so it gave up.
It was the sun’s turn. It didn’t rush, but gently emitted warm rays that fell on the pedestrian. The wind stopped, and the sunlight poured down, making the weather warm and pleasant in an instant.
The pedestrians felt much more comfortable, loosened their grip on their cloaks, and continued on their way. The sun continued to shine on them, and they grew hotter and hotter, even feeling a little sweaty. They looked up at the sky and smiled, saying, “What beautiful weather today!” With that, they took off their cloaks.
Just like that, the sun won the contest with ease.
The truth behind the story
This story actually teaches us a very simple truth: sometimes, forceful methods cannot solve problems and may even cause people to resist. A gentle attitude and patient guidance are often more effective in getting people to accept and cooperate.
The north wind tried to force the pedestrian to take off his cloak with force, but it backfired and made the pedestrian resist even more. The sun, on the other hand, used warmth to slowly influence the pedestrian and ultimately achieved its goal.
This phenomenon is also common in life. For example, when teachers educate students, parents discipline their children, or leaders manage their subordinates, if they only rely on orders, scolding, or pressure, the results are often not good. But if they can change their approach and communicate with understanding, encouragement, and care, things will often go much more smoothly.
What can we learn from this?
- Gentleness is more powerful than force
A lot of times, we think that only speaking loudly, getting angry, and using force can solve problems, but in fact, a gentle tone and patient explanation are more effective in winning people over. - Don’t just think about “winning” over others
At first, the north wind wanted to prove that it was stronger, so it challenged the sun. But in real life, people don’t always have to compete with each other. Cooperation, understanding, and respect are more important. - You can’t change others by forcing them
If you want others to listen to you, the best way is not to give orders, but to make them accept willingly. Just like the sun, it didn’t directly ask the pedestrians to take off their cloaks, but created an environment that made them want to do so naturally. - Empathy is important
If the north wind had thought from the perspective of the travelers—that the wind was too strong and made people afraid and shiver with cold—perhaps it would not have been so harsh. We must also learn to put ourselves in other people’s shoes in our daily lives.
Summary
This seemingly simple story actually contains many profound truths. It reminds us that when faced with problems, we should not always try to solve them with force.Instead of making people afraid, make them feel warm. Instead of making people obey, make them willing to cooperate.
Whether in the family, school, or workplace, knowing how to communicate in a gentle manner often leads to better results. True strength is not how many people you can overwhelm, but how many people you can influence to follow you willingly.
May we all be like the sun, using our light and heat to illuminate others, rather than using the wind to force them to bow their heads.
