29 April 2006

Three in the morning, four in the afternoon

This is a story in the Chuang Tzu. The man who keeps monkeys tells them that he is going to give them four chestnuts in the morning and three in the afternoon. They get angry and complain because they want more. The trainer concedes that he should be more generous, and agrees to three in the morning and four in the afternoon. At this the monkeys are satisfied and happy. The power of yielding - to give the appearance of backing down but without compromising at all.

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