Member-only story
"When Simplicity Becomes Wisdom: A Lesson from the Mud"
A few years ago, I visited the passport office to apply for my passport. While waiting, I struck up a conversation with a man sitting nearby. I casually asked him about his education, to which he humbly replied, “Not much.” He then asked about mine, and I shared a bit about my academic background. Our conversation flowed naturally, and as we exchanged thoughts, we both learned something new from each other.
During our talk, he shared an anecdote that, to this day, has stayed with me and deeply made me reflect. I’m now sharing it with you, and I’d love to hear your thoughts too.
He said:
"Once, an uneducated man was walking down a muddy path. He accidentally stepped into the mud. Without overthinking it, he walked up to a nearby stone, scraped the mud off his slipper, and calmly continued on his way.
Later, a well-educated man happened to walk the same path and also stepped into the mud. But his reaction was very different. First, he lifted his foot to inspect what was stuck on his slipper. Then, unsure of what it was, he touched it with his finger… and even smelled it to confirm. Only after realizing it was mud did he wash it off and proceed.
Now think—was all that really necessary?"
