The Oak and the Reeds
Aesop's Fables · 1 min read
A mighty oak, rooted deep and tall beside a riverbank, often mocked the slender reeds growing nearby for bending so easily at every passing breeze. "I stand firm against the fiercest storms," the oak boasted, "while you bow to a gust that barely stirs my leaves. How weak you must be."
The reeds only replied gently that they bent because they knew their own limits, not because they were weak, but the oak dismissed this as an excuse for their fragility.
One night, a truly violent storm swept through the valley. The reeds bent low with the wind, again and again, and stood again once it passed, entirely unharmed. The mighty oak, refusing to bend even slightly, resisted the storm with all his strength — until the wind, unable to move him any other way, tore him up completely by the roots, and he crashed to the ground where the humble reeds still stood.
Moral of the story
Knowing when to bend is not weakness — it is often what allows you to survive what rigid pride cannot.