One of my favorite teachings comes from this classic Taoist parable about the unpredictability of life:
A farmer and his son had a single horse that they relied on for farming and transportation.
One day, the horse ran away. When the villagers heard, they came to express their sympathy.
“What terrible luck!” they said.
The farmer simply replied, “Maybe.”
A few days later, the horse returned, bringing with it several wild horses. Now the farmer and his son had more horses than they needed, which meant wealth in their rural village. The villagers came by again, excited.
“What wonderful fortune!” they exclaimed.
The farmer again replied, “Maybe.”
Soon after, the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses. He was thrown off and broke his leg. The villagers heard the news and came to offer condolences.
“What a tragedy!” they said.
The farmer replied, “Maybe.”
A week later, soldiers from the army came through the village, drafting every able-bodied young man to fight in a distant war. Because the farmer’s son had a broken leg, they left him behind. The villagers once again came to comment.
“What great luck!” they said.
The farmer simply replied, “Maybe.”
It’s human nature to categorize, classify, and label events that happen in life. Things are “good” or “bad,” “favorable” or “unfavorable.”
This story teaches us the importance of equanimity: acceptance, non-judgment, and flowing with life’s events rather than resisting them.
It reminds us that whatever happens, in and of itself, is not “bad” or “good.” Those are labels we apply, judgements we assess, and stories we tell based on the meaning we are giving to the event.
The point of this Taoist parable is not just that we can’t predict how things will turn out (though that’s part of it). The deeper insight is about the futility and perhaps the hubris of our constant judgments. Each time the villagers rush to label an event, convinced of its ultimate meaning, they’re shown to be short-sighted.
We can never fully know the ultimate consequences of any event. What seems beneficial now could later lead to hardship, and what seems unfortunate could eventually lead to something positive.
Also worth considering: two people can experience the same event in different ways. One person’s unfortunate event is another person’s dream scenario.
This is one of the most challenging lessons to integrate into a habitual mindset, especially when we perceive events at their extremes of being “tragedy” or “triumph.”
The farmer’s “maybe” isn’t passive or detached — it’s a profound recognition of life’s complexity and our limited perspective. There are things in the mix that we can’t see from where we are.
Time and again, it’s helpful to remind ourselves:
This is not the end of the story.
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