I heard this story when I was a kid, and have seen it repeated on movies before. So if you have heard it, bare with me ...A fox is running from a wild fire and comes to a river, in order to live he will need to swim. Because the river is swift, he will have a hard time seeing as he crosses and thus risk the possibility of drowning. Below on the ground is a scorpion, also running from the fire. The scorpion can not swim, so he says to the fox, "let me ride on your head while you swim and I will guide you to the other side."
The fox looks at him and says, "but you are a scorpion and you will sting me if I get near you."
The scorpion says, "but my life is in danger too, surely I can control myself enough to realize the importance of helping us both to make it to the other side."
The fire was growing faster and hotter behind them. The fox felt he had no choice, so he put his head to the ground and invited the scorpion to get on. The scorpion climbed on and the fox jumped in. As the fox swam the scorpion guided him, you could hear "left ... right ... faster ... wait" and other commands as they swam the river together.
Finally the shore was within site, when suddenly the scorpion stung the fox. The fox screamed in pain and said, "why would you do that, now we are both going to die?" The fox slowly stiffened up and could not swim.
The scorpion whispered in his ear as they sunk beneath the water, "I can not help myself, I am a scorpion." Then they both sunk and drowned in the river and were swept away to their deaths.
... so what does this teach us? I was wondering what you get from it, as I can apply it to several aspects of life.
Just wondering
The fox and the scorpion
by kenpodragon 4 Replies latest jw friends
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kenpodragon
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blondie
I use this Aesopian proverb to show that people may sincerely believe what they say but cannot follow through. Some child molesters and wife/child beaters say they are sincerely sorry but cannot or will not follow up with actions.
"Can a leopard change its spots" is a Bible equivalent.
Jeremiah 13 (NIV)
23 Can the Ethiopian [1] change his skin
or the leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
who are accustomed to doing evil. -
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Swan
Can the Ethiopian [1] change his skin ?
The answer is yes, but not by his own power! According to the Watchtower, October 1, 1900 and February 15, 1904 issues, through faith and the power of prayer, God has helped negro people become white. To read of these amazing transformations and the God's plan to turn black people into white people in the coming restitution, click on the Quotes link at the bottom of the page, then select Racial Attitudes from the list on the left.
Apparently God is going to provide free sunblock to all of the white people living in that tropical paradise.
Tammy
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Yerusalyim
To me this means we can not expect other to act contrary to their nature regardless of our own altruistic approach. Regardless of how much we think HELPING and UNDERSTANDING someone will change them, they will act according to their nature.