In my nature
The parable of the scorpion and the Frog is an all time favorite. I was a big fan and then I heard that Pat Riley had used it as part of his pregame speech with the Knicks during game 7 of the 1994 Eastern conference championship game and I was sold. (I'm a guy, I like sports, beer and chicks) Along with the parable of the old bull and the young bull, I have related it many times. So, for your reading pleasure.
A scorpion was standing on the bank of a lake, wanting to get to the other side. Walking back and forth, trying to figure out how he would do it, he happened upon a frog chilling out in the water. So the scorpion says "Hey, I need to get to the other side of this lake. Would you give me a lift across on your back?" The Frog, with a surprised look and a bit of fear in his voice says "I can't do that, you'll sting me." The scorpion looks at the frog and says "I won't sting you. If I were to do that, we both would die. All I want is to get to the other side of the lake. I give you my word"
At all of this, the frog pondered. Thinking that it would be nice to help the scorpion. The scorpion's logic seemed to make sense. "Okay, hop on. I will take you across the lake" the Frog said, deciding to trust the scorpion.
So the scorpion hopped on the Frogs back, thanking him for the lift. Things were going well, they were halfway there. At that moment "Thwaaaack!" (Thwaaaack being the sound of a poisonous tail meeting amphibious flesh) the Frog felt the sting. "Why?!? Why did you do that?!?" the Frog wailed. "You gave me your word". The scorpion, looking at the frog, speaking with the same cold logical tone that he used when convincing the frog to help him, said "I am sorry my dear frog.I could not help but sting you. It is in my nature"
I've been the scorpion, I have been the frog. How bout you? Can one change? Can you remake yourself into something more? Like a butterfly form a cocoon? Or are we doomed to repeat our mistakes? Stinging or believing that we will not be stung?
A scorpion was standing on the bank of a lake, wanting to get to the other side. Walking back and forth, trying to figure out how he would do it, he happened upon a frog chilling out in the water. So the scorpion says "Hey, I need to get to the other side of this lake. Would you give me a lift across on your back?" The Frog, with a surprised look and a bit of fear in his voice says "I can't do that, you'll sting me." The scorpion looks at the frog and says "I won't sting you. If I were to do that, we both would die. All I want is to get to the other side of the lake. I give you my word"
At all of this, the frog pondered. Thinking that it would be nice to help the scorpion. The scorpion's logic seemed to make sense. "Okay, hop on. I will take you across the lake" the Frog said, deciding to trust the scorpion.
So the scorpion hopped on the Frogs back, thanking him for the lift. Things were going well, they were halfway there. At that moment "Thwaaaack!" (Thwaaaack being the sound of a poisonous tail meeting amphibious flesh) the Frog felt the sting. "Why?!? Why did you do that?!?" the Frog wailed. "You gave me your word". The scorpion, looking at the frog, speaking with the same cold logical tone that he used when convincing the frog to help him, said "I am sorry my dear frog.I could not help but sting you. It is in my nature"
I've been the scorpion, I have been the frog. How bout you? Can one change? Can you remake yourself into something more? Like a butterfly form a cocoon? Or are we doomed to repeat our mistakes? Stinging or believing that we will not be stung?
posted by TD at 8:26 AM
6 Comments:
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I've heard this story and it's proven too true in my life a number of times! As Popeye used to say, "I am what I am and that's all that I am."
That's my kind of question! No fluff there, Tom!!
Can we change our nature?
Only through dedication and determination.
If it's too much effort, most people won't change. Habits are one thing, but personality traits (the stinger or the stingee) are harder to modify. You're talking about changing something innate, part of your phyche...
That's not easily changeable.
K, you're saying that people can change, but it's highly unlikely that they can? Please expand.
Whiz, in what context have you seen this happen? if you don't mind my asking.
I think I'm a frog. And you know what, I think I'm happy being a frog - it would take far more than I have to ever be a scorpion.
Interesting tale, and not one that I have heard before.
I think that people’s personality dictates whether they are a frog or scorpion (to continue with your analogy), or something in between. There are deeply rooted reasons for the ways we are: childhood upbringing, the relationship our parents had, experiencing tragedy, DNA… hell, reading a book that touches us profoundly can even have an effect on the way we act and react.
Of course people can change. We do it all the time. But to change something like a habit (biting your nails, for example) is a lot easier to do than changing behavior. Changing behavior means reprogramming your unconscious mechanism as well as the conscious. If you want to stop yelling at your kids, you have to first be able to stop the emotional reaction before it happens, rewire the way you react to the situation and then find a new way to physically react.
So when I say you have to WANT to change, it is really, a conscious effort to do things differently. And for a lot of people, myself included, you have to decide that the change is worth the effort, because if you’re talking about changing an emotional or personality trait, it takes a HUGE amount of effort.
A lot of people are doomed to repeat their “mistakes” because they simply don’t know how to change. Some repeat because they like it that way.
Make sense?
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