INSIGHTS - Compilation of 200 on the insights of life (with an index of 420 topics) - Have a peep into the book
Dr. Jose Kaimlett
Stories are an integral part of human life. Who do not like a story? Who do not enjoy a story? Who do not laugh when an interesting story is told or joke is cracked? INSIGHTS offers you a buffet of stories that will entertain you, enhance your thoughts, motivate your spirit and inspire you to live a life of your own at every moment.
1. War of words
A king sent a message to the ruler of a neighboring country. The message read:
“Send me a blue diamond as large as a pigeon’s egg or else...”
The king on getting the message wrote back: “We don’t have such a diamond and if we had...”
The first king got very angry and declared war on his neighbor. The fighting went on for several months till a third king arranged a meeting between the two warring rulers. So they met and the first king said to the other: “What did you mean when you said, ‘Send me a blue diamond as large as a pigeon’s egg or else...’?”
“Why,” he replied, “I meant a blue diamond as large as a pigeon’s egg or else... some other diamond. I love diamonds. But what did you mean when you said, ‘We don’t have such a diamond and if we had’?”
“It is easy to guess my meaning,” said the other man. “What I wanted to say was, if we had such a diamond we would have gladly sent it to you.” The Kings pledged to write more clearly in future communications and embraced each other and made peace.
Many a time, our understanding of what is left unsaid, including even the most obvious, is what causes problems. We would avoid a lot of trouble for ourselves and others if we are clear in what we say or write.
(Communication, Clarity, Misunderstanding, Prejudice)
107. Irony of fate
A trainee psychologist was visiting a mental hospital. A resident doctor of the hospital took him around. In one corner they found an inmate rocking back and forth in a chair, mumbling agitatedly, “Lulu, Lulu, Lulu…”
“What brought this man here?” asked the psychologist.
”It is a very sad story,” answered the doctor. “This man was deep in love with a girl called Lulu and she married another man.”
As they went further, they came across another man who was beating his head against the wall and mourning, “Lulu, Lulu, Lulu…”
The psychologist was curious. “Poor fellow,” he commented, “another victim of Lulu. She must have been very pretty and jilted many people, I suppose.”
”This is the man who married Lulu,” responded the doctor.
— Rabbi R.R. Bruckner
Success in marriage is more than finding the right partner. It is a matter of being the right partner.
(Destiny, Experience, Love, Marriage, Reality)
196. Stick that grew shorter
It so happened that once a rich merchant’s house was robbed. The merchant suspected that the thief was one of his servants. So he went to Birbal and mentioned the incident. Birbal went to his house and assembled all of his servants and questioned them as to who stole the things. Everybody denied.
Birbal thought for a moment, then gave a stick of equal length to all the servants of the merchant and said to them that the stick of the real thief will be longer by two inches tomorrow. All the servants should be present here again tomorrow with their sticks.
All the servants went to their homes and gathered again at the same place the next day.
Birbal asked them to show him their sticks. One of the servants had his stick shorter by two inches. Birbal said, “This is your thief, merchant.”
Later the merchant asked Birbal, “How did you catch him?” Birbal said, “The thief had already cut his stick short by two inches in the night fearing that his stick will be longer by two inches by morning.”
You can delude some people all the time; or even all the people for sometime; but your own conscience never. Conscience is an incorruptible judge. It can not be bribed. It makes no mistake. “To thine own conscience be always true.” Be true to yourself (your own conscience). You can fool the entire world, but not yourself.
(Cheating, Conscience, Mistake, Truth, Wisdom)
“Life is a choiceless choice. World is so large, definitely you have a special place in the world. Find your place.” — JojiValli
