#110: The Fox and the Grapes, Unsatiated Desire & Strategic Disdain
3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Desire, Status and Power
I. The Fox and the Grapes
The Fox and the Grapes is a famous fable credited to ancient Greek storyteller Aesop.
A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox's mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.
The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.
Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.
"What a fool I am," he said. "Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for."
And off he walked very, very scornfully.
Source: The Aesop for Children
II. Unsatiated Desire
One thing humans strive for is status. But is there a point at which we have enough? According to research Will Storr quotes in his book The Status Game, the answer is ‘no’:
One reasons the desire for status is ‘never really satiated’ is because ‘it can never really be possessed by an individual once and for all. Since it is esteem given by others, it can always, at least theoretically be taken away.’ So we keep wanting more. And more and more and more.
—Will Storr, The Status Game
III. Strategic Disdain
In The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene outlines the laws governing the human desire for power. Law 36 details how disdaining things you cannot have is often used strategically to gain an advantage in the game of power.
By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.
—Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power
Is it better to cultivate a sense of indifference rather than allow yourself to be consumed by desire or envy? 🐘
Have a great week,
Chris
themindcollection.com
P.S.: My latest essay is about Orwell’s Writing Rules: How to Write With Clarity.