Five wise men wandered into a dense forest and soon realized they were lost. Each of them decided to find their own way out, guided by their unique reasoning.
The first wise man said, “I will go left. My instincts are telling me this is the right way.”
The second wise man declared, “I will go right. After all, ‘right’ signifies correctness.”
The third wise man decided, “I will head back. We came from that direction, so it must be the way out.”
The fourth wise man thought, “I will continue straight ahead. Moving forward must lead us to a way out and new opportunities.”
The fifth wise man, however, had a different idea. “You’re all wrong,” he said confidently. “There’s a better solution. Just wait and see.” He found the tallest tree, climbed it, and looked out over the forest from above.
While he was climbing, the others scattered in their chosen directions. From his vantage point, the fifth wise man could see the entire forest and where each path led. He spotted the quickest route out and believed he had found the best solution. He was sure he had made the right choice and that the others were mistaken. In his mind, he was the wisest of them all.
But he was mistaken.
The wise man who went left found himself deep in the forest’s thicket. He faced hunger and wild animals, but he learned to survive and eventually became one with the forest. He gained valuable knowledge about living in the wild and taught others how to do the same.
The wise man who went right encountered thieves who robbed him and forced him into their criminal ways. Despite his misfortune, he sparked a change in the thieves. His influence and eventual death led them to rediscover their lost compassion and humanity, and some became wise men themselves.
The wise man who went back created a path through the forest. His work soon became a well-traveled road, guiding others safely through the forest without fear of getting lost.
The wise man who went straight became a pioneer. He explored uncharted territories, uncovering new possibilities, healing plants, and magnificent animals for others to discover.
The wise man who climbed the tree specialized in finding shortcuts. People came to him for quick solutions to their problems, even if those solutions didn’t always lead to growth or development.
Each wise man, in their own way, reached their destiny and found their purpose. Their different paths led to valuable lessons and contributions, showing that every approach has its own worth.
