No, you’ll sting me!
Have you ever felt trapped by your own nature? I know I have. I’ve felt guilty of this countless times in my life.
I COULDN’T HELP IT:
- I am not a people person.
- I am quick to get angry.
- I am just not smart.
- I am just a nerd.
- I am just me.
There’s a famous story about the Scorpion and the Frog that reminds us of the dangers of instinct and the choices we make every day.
A scorpion, stranded on the bank of a river, spots a frog swimming nearby. Desperate to cross, it pleads, “Can I ride on your back to the other side?”
The frog hesitates, replying, “No, you’ll sting me!”
The scorpion, prepared for this, says, “I wouldn’t do that. If I sting you, we’ll both drown.”
Convinced, the frog agrees. But halfway across the river, the scorpion stings the frog in the back.
As they sink, the frog cries, “Why did you do that? Now we’re both going to die!”
With its last breath, the scorpion shrugs, “I couldn’t help it. It’s my nature.”
The common interpretation of this tale is that we should trust our instincts about danger.
The frog’s intuition was right, but it was swayed by the scorpion’s words, putting itself in peril. The scorpion represents those whose nature makes them dangerous.
Never let their words convince you otherwise.
But I’d like to add another thought:
We are all scorpions in our own way. Each of us has aspects of our nature that can be harmful to others if we let them.
But we should never hide behind our nature. We should never say, “I couldn’t help it. It’s my nature.”
You are not your nature. You are your actions. You are in control. You get to choose. To hide behind our nature is to surrender our power.
Take back that power.
Hugs through cyberspace!
Stay woke, my reader folk.
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