The Fish and the Frog

[Short Allegories – III]

The fish, of course, is stuck in the pond. He lives and breathes in the water. It’s all he will ever know firsthand.

The frog is an amphibian, of course, and spends part of his life swimming in the pond with the fish and part of his life on dry land. He understands the fish’s world, even though he’s not a fish.

The same is not true of the fish. His understanding of the frog's existence is significantly limited. He can’t live in the frogs shoes; he can’t see from the frog’s eyes; he can’t feel what the frog feels. The closest he will ever come to understanding life on land is what the frog tells him of the amphibious experience.

The fish would do well to listen.

Understanding without listening is half ignorance.