The Wolf You Feed

The Wolf You Feed

An elder Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me.. it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, and compassion."

"This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too", he added.

The Grandchildren thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee said... "The one you feed."

Category:

Education

Tags:

• The
• Wolf
• You
• Feed

[Curas1]

It's strange I feel like arguing against such a simple story.

Not you at all of course for retelling it but it's fundamental flaw, it's lie and it's malicious deception.

Eh, I feed my wolf well...

[2bsirius]

@Curas1

Yes, it is a simple story, BUT it is not to be taken literally. It just means that the things you spend the most time thinking about, whether it's fear, anger, envy, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, or hope, humility, friendship and empathy, will become motivation for what you do in the world.

The idea that the world and not our own thoughts make us who we are, is a superficial and false way to see what you can do with what you think about.

[pinkmoon831]

thanks for sharing the story =)

[2bsirius]

@pinkmoon831

Thanks for watching.

[Curas1]

@2bsirius

I used to go on these summer road vacations with my grandmother as a child and we went through many areas of the southwest in America so I got my share of Native American folklore to go with the landscapes, cultural tourism and different peoples and art.

I don't know when I first heard this story, but I'm sure it was on one of those trips ...

[2bsirius]

@Curas1

I think it's great that you thought about it in this much detail, even though you saw it was as such a simple story.

[Curas1]

@Curas1

my Greek mythology is a little rusty so instead of talking about people pushing boulders up hills or Procrustes bed, I use this to make my point.

Yes I understood the parable ...

[Curas1]

@2bsirius

Not to make it corny but that almost sounds like the idelogical clash between the jedi and the sith.

In the prequels we come to find out that the jedis support balance and self harmony but at the cost of emotional attachments , where the sith are driven by all emotion as they empower themselves with them

Sometimes I feel the star wars prequel were stories retold from a bias Jedi view and the reason I bring this up is how I feel about the world vs someone who would accept this

[AdamaKnowsBest]

@2bsirius I'm sorry but which comment? I can't c it.

[Elaina43]

@falcoperegrinus82

Ah well... Here's to our brains, falcoperegrinus82 *cheers!*

The sentiment is worth a second (even third!) viewing 8‹D

[mindprism]

Funny how the black wolf got there in the first place. I mean, don't all of both wolves qualities have a proper time, place and function? You cannot judge the worth of a feeling on its face and split the world so neatly in two. It is folly to try.

The only good advice on such is to know yourself.

[vacant2012]

I definitely identify with this, even though this is the first time I've heard this concept illustrated in such a way.

I have a problem that I'm not very reflective -- I very rarely take a minute and reflect on how my life has been going and what wolf I'm feeding so to speak. When I actually DO reflect on my actions, they do largely seem to be influenced by vanity. It's a hard habit to break though; I'm still trying to figure out how to do it when it's almost automatic for me. -_-