THE TRAVELLER’S LOOK

This week, here you are this short story about how we see people, how our reality mix objectivity and subjectivity. How our way of perceiving the world is, in part, the way the world shows back to us.

Once upon a time, a wise old man was sitting on a rock, right next to a huge door leading into a large and prosperous walled city in the desert. A traveller from a faraway country approached the old man before crossing the threshold of the gateway to the city, and asked him:

―Tell me sir, what are the inhabitants of this city like?

―Tell me something before I answer, please: what are the people of the city you come from like? ―the old man responded.

―Bad people! ―shouted the traveller. They are unreliable: lazy, judgmental, selfish, vain , deceitful… That is why I left and I am looking for a better place to live!

―Oh, dear! ―said the old man― I am afraid that you will just find the same in this city.

Such was the frustration of the traveller to hear that, that he decided not to enter the city and continue his journey in search of a better place to live.

That same day, in the evening, a new, young and cheerful traveller came to the city gate, where the old man was sitting on his rock. The young man approached him and asked:

―Please, kind man, I would like to enter this city, but first I would like to know what people who live here are like. If you could tell me something about them, I would appreciate it.

―Of course I will tell you, the old man replied. But first you tell me, boy, what are the people of the city  you are from like?

―Good people! ―the young man exclaimed without much thought. Obviously there is a bit of everything, but overall I think most people are fine doing what they can with what they have. You can count on them, no doubt. Of course there are also some less reliable and twisted characters, but even those, depending on how you treat them, are changeable. Yes, I would say the vast majority are good people.

The old man smiled, and then he said to the young traveller:

―Welcome, boy! Enter this city which awaits you, because you will find so many good people, as you found in the city you came from. Good Luck!

Hugs and kisses,

Álex