Today I would like to share with you an old fable – The vain jackdaw.The story is not long, but the truth in it is particularly profound and worth pondering.
What is the story about?
A long time ago, Zeus, the god of the sky, decided to choose a “king of birds” for all the birds.He told everyone, “You’ll all gather in three days, and whoever looks the prettiest will be king of the birds.”
All the birds were very excited at this news.They rushed to the river and began to comb their feathers and dress themselves carefully, hoping to win first place in the competition.
At this time, a little bird called Cold Crow was also moved.But it knew that it was not a good-looking bird, and that it was all black and unremarkable.So he came up with an idea: he secretly went to the river and picked up the feathers of the other birds and glued them one by one to his body.
In this way, the cold crow dressed himself up in green and color and looked very beautiful.On the day of the competition, everyone was attracted by its appearance, and even Zeus thought it was so beautiful that he was ready to make it king.
But it didn’t last long, and the other birds soon realized that this wasn’t some new breed of bird at all, but the unassuming Cold Crow.They rushed over in anger and plucked off the feathers that belonged to them, one by one.
In the end, the crow was beaten back and had to fly away in disgrace.
What does this story tell us?
Don’t look at it as just a small fable, but it actually tells a lot of life lessons.We can understand this story from many angles.I’ll tell you in simple words.
One, to be true to oneself is the surest path
The cold crow is an ordinary bird, but it is not willing to be ordinary, and wants to rely on other people’s things to become different.The result?The pretended beauty was soon uncovered.
So we have to understand one thing: Don’t rely on disguise to please others, be true to yourself is the most reliable.Everyone has their own characteristics, instead of imitating others, we should accept ourselves and play to our strengths.
Second, no matter how good-looking you look on the outside, you can’t hide the problems on the inside
Crows rely on other people’s feathers to make themselves look beautiful, but it’s only a superficial effort.Once the feathers are removed, it still looks the same.
This tells us one thing: It’s not enough to look good on the outside, what really matters is your inner ability.If you don’t have real ability and only rely on external packaging, you will be recognized sooner or later.
Just like in real life, some people wearing brand-name clothes, speak a gorgeous language, but if they do not work, speak unreliable, others will not really respect them.
Three, don’t always think of robbing things that don’t belong to you.
When a crow sees another bird with beautiful feathers, it can’t help but want to own it.But it didn’t think about the fact that those feathers are not its own, and it would only be a problem to force it to take them.
We also encounter similar situations in our lives.For example, when we see other people with good grades, decent jobs, and rich lives, we will be envious and even jealous.But if we don’t go to improve ourselves and only want to take shortcuts, then it’s easy to fail like a cold crow.
So remember the saying: Don’t always stare at what others have, cherish what you already have, and try to develop your own advantages.
Fourth, it is important to understand your own abilities and limitations
The cold crow was so confident that it thought it could be king too.But it didn’t think clearly about one question: does it really have the ability to become the king of birds?
In fact, everyone should be clear about their strengths and weaknesses.When setting goals, you should also consider whether you can do it.If the goal is too high and beyond your ability, even if you try harder, it may be in vain.
So, recognize yourself and live within your means in order to go farther.
V. Be honest so you won’t roll over easily
The cold crow used deception in order to become the king.It pretends that it is beautiful, but in fact it is all propped up by other people’s things.This practice worked for a short time, but it was eventually exposed.
In reality, there are also some people who like to use improper ways to gain advantages, such as cheating, lying, plagiarizing and so on.But these methods are short-lived, and once they are discovered, the consequences can be severe.
So, do or be honest, rely on real ability to win recognition, is the long way .
Six. Don’t just look at the surface, look at the essence.
In the story, Zeus was attracted by the appearance of the cold crow at first and almost made it king.But the other birds saw at once that it was an impostor.
This illustrates a truth: Look at a person or a thing, can not just look at the surface, to go deeper to see the essence .
Sometimes we think a person is capable just because he dresses well and speaks beautifully.But in fact, the real strength is often hidden behind, need time to observe and verify.
Seven, vanity and jealousy will make you lose more
Why did the cold crow do that?Because it was uncomfortable in its heart, seeing other birds so beautiful, but it was mediocre.So it tries to be recognized by others through camouflage.
This is a manifestation of vanity and jealousy.But the result?Not only did it not become king, but it lost its face.
In life, we also have times when we envy others.But learn to adjust your mind, don’t let envy affect your judgment, and don’t do the wrong thing because of momentary vanity.
Instead of envying others, we should try to improve ourselves .
VIII. Accept your own shortcomings in order to grow better
The cold crow didn’t want to face its ugliness, so it chose to escape.It thought it could become a different version of itself if it wore beautiful feathers.
But we all know that the unchangeable facts don’t change.Instead of covering it up, we should face it bravely.
Everyone has advantages and disadvantages, the key is to accept the true self, and then try to improve the shortcomings .
IX. Outer beauty is easy to disappear, inner beauty can last
The cold crow focuses only on its appearance and ignores its inner growth.It thought that as long as it looked beautiful, it could win respect.But this beauty proved to be short-lived.
What is truly admirable is a person’s character, intelligence and ability.These inner things are what support a person to go far.
So, instead of spending too much time dressing up the exterior, why don’t you put more effort into improving your abilities and qualities.
Summary
The story of “The Vain Crow” is simple, but the truth in it is very profound.It tells us:
- Don’t rely on false means to disguise yourself;
- To face up to one’s own strengths and weaknesses;
- Be honest and truthful;
- We should not look at people and things only superficially;
- Don’t blindly pursue things that don’t belong to you;
- No matter how beautiful the appearance is, it is not as important as the fulfillment of the heart.
In this world full of competition, we often feel the pressure, will want to quickly succeed, will envy others bright and shiny.But remember, only down-to-earth, be true to yourself, can go farther, more stable .
I hope this story can bring you some inspiration, so that you can be more determined to be yourself in life, not to follow the current, and not to lose your way.
