Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away.
That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate.
They said, "
We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away.
This is most unfortunate." The farmer said, "
Maybe." The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild
Horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, "
Oh, isn't that lucky.
What a great turn of events.
You now have eight horses!" The farmer again said, "
Maybe."
The following day his son tried to break one of the
Horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg.
The neighbors then said, "
Oh dear, that's too bad," and the farmer responded, "
Maybe." The next day the conscription officers came around to
Conscript people into the army,
And they rejected his son because he had a broken leg.
Again all the neighbors came around and said, "
Isn't that great!" Again, he said, "
Maybe."
The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense
Complexity, and it's really impossible to tell whether anything that
Happens in it is good or bad — because you never know what will be
The consequence of the misfortune; or,
You never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.
Alan Watts