"Maybe..." (a parable)

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

This thread reminds me of the study about synthesizing happiness.

I wonder if I can find that... it talks about how a lot of happiness comes about by the person telling themselves that, whatever it is, it's better that way. There are some very interesting mental tricks that go along with that.

[Don Coyote]

Next time I end up working in a gray carpet box I am going to make a post of this parable and hang it up.

[Placid Dingo]

It works for me but that's also because I was familiar with the original, so I knew the theme before I started  reading.

[Placid Dingo]

This thread reminds me of the study about synthesizing happiness.

I wonder if I can find that... it talks about how a lot of happiness comes about by the person telling themselves that, whatever it is, it's better that way. There are some very interesting mental tricks that go along with that.

Study sounds interesting. I don't know if I could handle the idea of assuming everythig was for the best (or for a reason), but the story in the OP seems more like it's saying 'remember; every event is only a step in a story.'

Iirc the overview that Cram gave is a little skewed because it's not just poor fortune turning good. I seem to recall he broke his leg in the first place because he was 'lucky' enough to get a beautiful new horse that kicked him off.

[Triple Zero]

Oh! So the feedback I'm looking for is: I'm trying to find good examples of good/bad being really subjective, transient.


     The original story is about a farmer.

     The farmer's prize horse runs away
     and everybody's so sorry for him.

          and the horse comes back a week later, leading a herd of horses,
          so it's good news

               but while the farmer is wrangling his horses, he breaks his leg,
               and everybody thinks this is bad news

                    but the next week, the army comes by to draft all able bodied men for the war,
                    and the farmer doesn't have to go.


I wanted to carry this into 2012, talking about issues we're all familiar with: possessions, money, jobs, and love

and I want to show a glimpse of the primal chaos behind the subjective illusions of good and bad, fate and fortune.

Do my examples succeed at this? Is there a way to make it more poignant, easy to relate to?

I think you pretty much nailed it. I especially like the ending, where he actually laughs about it being too bad that the girl left him for someone else. Actually just that last event is quite the "maybe" thing in a nutshell, while it's sad that she left him, the fact that she left him for someone else, who is such a spag shows it would have been for the better, anyway.

And Roger is also right, the finger-gun-spag is very real, he's out there somewhere in your office, quite probably at sales, and if he's not physically finger-gunning people, he's doing it mentally, and now that you've created him, you need to find him and challenge him to a finger-wrestling duel. And then the paper-shredder thing.

Though find out first if he doesn't practice archery, by any chance. You don't wanna end up against one of those guy's fingers, they're fucking lethal and will mangle your finger into a curly fry. It's back to the drawing board and more plotting in that case.

[Slurrealist]

 
Read it before, though this one is perfect for the present time. It's like ancient wisdom redefined for the 21^st century.

He appears in The Parable of the Gong. I invented him as an exemplar of the Discordian Monk. I visualize him wearing a bathrobe and no pants. It's kind of like - is he overprepared or underprepared?

Maybe he's at ease with world and greets it with a kind smile, just like someone after a good, relaxing bath.