"Two Stories with the Same Moral" by Don Gerz
STORY 1 - A teacher was giving a lecture to his high school English class on a pivotal scene from Shakespeare's complex tragedy, Othello. The teacher pointed out and explained the many intricate relationships between all the characters, emphasizing how each sought his or her own perceived advantages and how each character's choices drove the overall action to the play's climax and, indeed, to the overarching meaning of the entire work. When the teacher asked his students if any of them had any questions, observations, or comments, one student raised his hand and observed, "You missed a belt loop on your slacks." The teacher thanked the student and again asked if he had any questions, observations, or comments about the scene from Othello. The student had none.
STORY 2 - When pointing to a ball the master commanded his dog to fetch, instead of looking at the ball, the dog stared intently at his master's pointing finger.
Moral of the Stories
"Focus your attention on that which is significant and relevant, not upon that which is inconsequential and irrelevant."
STORY 2 - When pointing to a ball the master commanded his dog to fetch, instead of looking at the ball, the dog stared intently at his master's pointing finger.
Moral of the Stories
"Focus your attention on that which is significant and relevant, not upon that which is inconsequential and irrelevant."