The North Wind and The Sun

The North Wind and The Sun is one of Aesop's fables. It is number 46 in the Perry Index, which is a widely used index for these fables, and it happens to be one of my favorites.

The story goes as follows:

The North Wind boasted of great strength. The Sun argued that there was great power in gentleness.

"We shall have a contest," said the Sun.

Far below, a man traveled a winding road. He was wearing a warm winter coat.

"As a test of strength," said the Sun, "Let us see which of us can take the coat off of that man."

"It will be quite simple for me to force him to remove his coat," bragged the Wind.

The Wind blew so hard, the birds clung to the trees. The world was filled with dust and leaves. But the harder the wind blew down the road, the tighter the shivering man clung to his coat.

Then, the Sun came out from behind a cloud. Sun warmed the air and the frosty ground. The man on the road unbuttoned his coat.

The sun grew slowly brighter and brighter.

Soon the man felt so hot, he took off his coat and sat down in a shady spot.

"How did you do that?" said the Wind.

"It was easy," said the Sun, "I lit the day. Through gentleness I got my way."

There is a lot to be learned from The North Wind and The Sun. I am sure we are all familiar with the phrase, "You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar." Essentially, you are more likely to get your way with kindness (or gentleness like in the fable) compared to force.

While this is easier said than done, it is an important concept to try to implement in one's behavior and thought process.

-Joe