The Folly of Arguing with the Stubborn: A Lesson in Knowing When to Walk Away
Once upon a time, in the jungle, a strange argument broke out between a wolf and a donkey. The two were disagreeing about the color of the grass.
The donkey, stubborn and sure of himself, said, "The grass is yellow."
But the wolf, who was sensible and had seen the grass many times, said, "No, the grass is green."
They argued for a long time, neither willing to change their opinion. The more they debated, the more frustrated they became. Finally, realizing they couldn’t solve the issue on their own, they decided to take their case to the king of the jungle—the lion. The lion was known for his fairness and wisdom, and they trusted he would make the right decision.
When they arrived at the lion’s court, they each had their chance to speak. The donkey confidently told the lion, "Your Majesty, the grass is yellow. I’ve seen it with my own eyes!"
The wolf, standing firm, said, "Your Majesty, the grass is green. Anyone can see that it’s green."
The lion listened carefully to both sides. The jungle fell silent as everyone waited for his decision. After thinking for a while, the lion finally said, "The grass is green."
The wolf was pleased, thinking that justice had been served. However, the lion then did something surprising. He turned to the wolf and said, "Even though you are right, I am sentencing you to one month in prison."
The wolf was shocked and confused. "But Your Majesty," the wolf said, "you just said that the grass is green, so why am I being punished?"
The lion replied calmly, "Yes, the grass is green. But your mistake was not about the color of the grass. Your mistake was arguing with a donkey."
The wolf still didn’t understand, so the lion explained further, "The donkey does not have the ability to understand the truth. No matter what you say, he will never change his mind. By arguing with someone who cannot be reasoned with, you wasted your time and energy. That is why I am punishing you—not because you were wrong about the grass, but because you should have known better than to argue with someone who can’t understand."
The wolf lowered his head, realizing that the lion was right. He had wasted his time arguing with someone who wouldn’t listen or understand. The wolf now understood that sometimes, it is wiser not to argue at all, especially with those who are stubborn and unwilling to listen.
The donkey, still believing the grass was yellow, was set free and went on his way, unchanged. But the other animals in the jungle learned a valuable lesson from this event. They saw that it is often better to stay quiet than to argue with someone who will never change their mind.
From that day on, the wolf became wiser in choosing his battles. He learned that being right is not always enough; sometimes, the smartest thing to do is to avoid a pointless argument altogether.