The Old Couple, the Donkey, and Our Problem of “Whose Voice to Listen To”

Hello!

Today, I wanted to write about something I thought about from “The Story of the Old Couple and the Donkey.”

I’m sure many of you have heard of it. It’s that famous fable.

What is “The Story of the Old Couple and the Donkey”?

Once upon a time, there was an old couple and a donkey.

At first, the old man rode the donkey, and the old woman walked. Then, a passerby said,

“What a man, letting his old wife walk while he rides!”

Hearing this, the old couple decided that the old woman would ride the donkey instead. Then, another person said,

“It’s outrageous for a woman to ride the donkey and make the man walk!”

Well then, they decided they would both ride the donkey. Then again, someone said,

“Poor donkey, it’s too heavy carrying two people!”

If that’s the case, they both got off the donkey and started walking. Then this time…

“Why is no one riding the donkey when you have one?”

Ultimately, the old couple was at a loss.

“Listen to everyone’s opinion” is certainly a valid argument. But…

This story is often taken as a moral lesson like, “Oh, there’s no end to it if you keep worrying about what others think.”

But reality isn’t that simple, is it?

There are often people who say, “Don’t care about what others think!”

But it’s a bit difficult to ignore everything completely. For example, when posting something on social media. When thinking about what to say at a company drinking party. You inevitably care about someone’s reaction.

Because “other people’s opinions” sometimes affect our safety and evaluation.

That being said, being swayed too much becomes painful

The old couple in this story probably just wondered “What should we do?” at first.

But no matter what, “someone” will complain.

And as you start going in circles saying, “Then let’s do this next,” “Maybe it’s this?”, you lose sight of what you want to do.

This is a common occurrence in our daily lives as well.

The expectations of bosses, the words of parents, the number of “likes” on social media. Have you ever lost track of what you really want to do while adapting to them?

It’s important to choose “whose voice to listen to”

So, what should we do? There is no correct answer.

However, “following everyone’s opinion” is realistically impossible.

That’s why I think it’s important to choose “whose voice to listen to” for yourself.

For example, “Listen only to the advice of people you respect” or “Use whether your past self would agree as a standard.”

Having even just one standard that you “want to believe in” will reduce the noise of the world a little bit.

So, when you are a little tired

It might be good to remember the story of “The Old Couple and the Donkey.”

We tend to worry about what others think, don’t we?

But if you try to respond to everything, you’ll end up getting off the donkey too.

Sometimes, if you can think, “Maybe it’s okay to prioritize my own feelings.” Your heart might feel just a little bit lighter.