A discourse on Expectations by Socrates & Plato

One day, Plato asked his teacher Socrates, "What is love? How can I find it?”

Socrates answered, "There is a vast wheat field in front. Walk forward without turning back, and pick only one stalk. If you find the most magnificent stalk, then you have found love."

Plato walked forward, and before long, he returned with empty hands, having picked nothing.

His teacher asked, "Why did you not pick any stalk?"

Plato answered, "Because I could only pick once, and yet I could not turn back. I did find the most magnificent stalk, but did not know if there were any better ones ahead, so I did not pick it. As I walked further, the stalks that I saw were not as good as the earlier one, so! I did not pick any in the end.”

Socrates then said, "And that is LOVE."

On another day, Plato asked Socrates: "What is marriage? How can I find it?"

His teacher answered, "There is a thriving forest in front. Walk forward without turning back, and chop down only one tree. If you find the tallest tree, then you have found marriage".

Plato walked forward, and before long, He returned with a tree. The tree was not bad but it was not tall, either. It was only an ordinary tree, not the best but just a good tree.

His teacher asked, "Why did you chop down such an ordinary tree?"

Plato answered, "Based on my previous experience, I had walked through the field, but returned with empty hands. This time, I saw this tree, and I felt that it was the first good tree I had seen, so I chopped it down and brought it back. I did not want to miss the chance."

Socrates then said, "And that is MARRIAGE."

On another day, Plato asked his teacher, "What is paramour?”

Socrates answered, "Go to the forest again. You are allowed back and forth if you like, and pluck the most beautiful flower."

Plato walked forward, after 2 hours he returned with a vivid flower but a little drooped.

His teacher asked, "Is this one the most beautiful follower?"

Plato answered, "I had walked for 2 hours. I found this was the most beautiful flower, so I picked it. But it had been drooping on my way back."

Socrates then said, "And that is PARAMOUR.”

On another day, Plato asked his teacher, "What is life?”

Socrates asked him to go to the forest again, allowed back and forth as well, and pluck the most beautiful flower. Plato walked forward. However he hadn't come back for 3 days. His teacher went to find him.

When he saw Plato’s camping in the forest, he asked: "Have you found the most beautiful flower?”

Plato pointed a flower near to his camp and answered, "This is the most beautiful flower!"

"Why didn't you take it out?" Socrates asked.

Plato answered, "Based on my previous experience, if I pick it, it would be drooping. Even though I didn't pick, it would die in a couple of days for sure. So I had been living by its side while it was blooming. When it's drooped, I was up to find another one. This is the second most beautiful flower I have found!"

Socrates then said, "You've got the truth of LIFE"

~X~

"Love" is the most beautiful thing to happen to a person, it’s an opportunity we often don't see its worth when we have it and many times take it forgranted, but only when it’s gone like the the beautiful stalk do we realize its value.

"Marriage" is like the tree you chopped, it's a compromise; you pick the first best thing you see and learn to live a happy life with it.

Having an affair, a "Paramour", is alluring. It's like lightning -- bright but disappears so quickly that you cannot catch up with and keep it.

"Life" is to follow and enjoy the every beautiful moment of living.

One Way To Find Out

When contemplating whether to do something or not, a plucky voice in our heads may say, "You never know until you try." This is time-honored wisdom that encourages us to be game rather than to hold back. It reminds us that it is only through experience that we learn about this world and ourselves. Even if we regret the outcome, we have learned something, and the newfound knowledge is almost always worth it.

This wisdom can be applied to situations both large and small. From crossing the Atlantic on a boat to trying Ethiopian food, there’s only one way to find out what it’s like. We have all had experiences where we tried something we didn’t think we’d like and fell in love. We may have found ourselves stuck with nothing to read but a "boring" book, only to kick-start a lifelong passion for Victorian literature. We may have decided that sailing was not for us until we fell in love with someone with a boat. On the other hand, we may try tofu only to learn that it is truly not for us. In this case, we gain greater self-knowledge from the experience. And yet, we might still remain open to trying it prepared in a different way. The right marinade might make you a convert—you’ll never know if you don’t try it.

It is often said that at the end of our lives we are more likely to regret the things we did not do than the things we did. As an exercise to test your own willingness to discover through doing, try making a list of things you regret not having done. You may begin to notice patterns such as a failure to say what you really think at key moments or closed-mindedness to certain types of activities. Just being aware of the opportunities you missed might encourage you not to miss them again. There’s only one way to find out.

~OM~