Philosophy

In the province of Wanchu, in ancient China, there lived a man renowned for his wisdom and philosophical outlook. One morning, he discovered that his horse was missing. The stable door had been left open, and the horse had gone.

The neighbors, hearing of his loss, came to console him. But the man merely shrugged his shoulders and said, “My loss may be for the best.”

As if to prove his words true, the horse returned several days later. Not only had it come back, but it brought with it three more wild horses. The news spread quickly, and soon the villagers gathered to congratulate the man on his good fortune. But the man, as usual, simply shook his head and said, “Who knows? It may turn out to be my loss.”

The very next day, his son tried to ride one of the new horses, but the animal was untamed and threw him off. The boy fell badly and broke his leg. The neighbors, hearing of this misfortune, rushed over to offer their sympathy. But once again, the man shrugged and said, “It may turn out to be good for us.”

The villagers were now thoroughly confused and a little irritated by the man’s attitude. “Who can understand what this old fool means?” they muttered to each other as they left.

The next day, the country was invaded, and the emperor’s soldiers came through the village, gathering all able-bodied young men to fight in the war. But because the boy had a broken leg, he was spared from being conscripted.

As the villagers thought about the boy, now safely at home while their own sons were away at war, they began to understand the depth of the father’s philosophy. They realized that what seemed like a misfortune at first might have turned into a blessing in the end—and that what appeared to be good fortune could sometimes lead to unforeseen consequences.

The wisdom of the old man became clear to them: What seems like a loss may turn out to be a gain, and what seems like a gain may turn out to be a loss.