An old Chinese Taoist story describes a farmer in a poor country village. He was considered very well-to-do because he owned a horse that he used for ploughing, for riding around, and for carrying things. One day his horse ran away. All his neighbours exclaimed how terrible this was, but the farmer simply said, ‘Maybe’.
A few days later the horse returned and brought two wild horses with it. The neighbours all rejoiced at his good fortune, but the farmer just said, ‘Maybe’.
The next day the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses; the horse threw him and broke the boy’s leg. The neighbours all offered their sympathy for his misfortune, but the farmer again said, ‘Maybe’.
The next week, conscription officers came to the village to ...
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