The Strength in Gentleness: Lessons from the Sun

This is the moral of a simple fable.

There is great wisdom in this simple story. It is a lot more than a children’s story. The message in this fable is one the world needs to heed as well as each of us.

The Sun and the North Wind 

Once upon a time, the North Wind and the Sun had an argument. Each thought he was stronger than the other. ‘There’s only one thing for it,’ said the North Wind. ‘We’ll have to put our strength to the test. We’ll have a competition.’ 

He pointed to a traveller, walking along a road far below them, on the face of the world. ‘See that man?’ The Sun nodded. ‘See the coat he’s wearing?’ 

‘Yes, I can see his coat.’ 

‘Well, whichever one of us can strip the coat from his back will have proved himself the strongest.’ 

The Sun smiled and nodded. ‘Very well, Wind. You go first.’ 

So the North Wind began to blow. He came whirling down out of the sky and set the man’s coat flapping – so the traveller buttoned it up. He blew harder, as though he could tear it from the man’s back, but the traveller thrust his hands into his pockets and held the coat closer. He blew with all of his strength but the traveller bent himself against the wind and held his coat tighter still. For all his puffing and panting, the wind could do nothing. 

Then it was the Sun’s turn. The wind stopped, the clouds parted and the Sun shone. He shone gently at first, so the traveller relaxed his stride and unfastened his buttons. Then he shone more fiercely; the traveller took off his coat and slung it over his shoulder. Then the Sun shone with all of his strength; the traveller threw his coat onto the ground and sat under the shade of a tree. 

The Sun turned to the North Wind. ‘So, who’s stronger? You or me?

Aesop's fable regarding the wind and sun is a simple story with an expressive meaning inside. A man walks up a road wearing a coat and gets into a friendly argument about the stronger one: the wind or the sun. To settle this, they decide to test their powers by seeing who can get the man to remove his coat. The wind goes first, huffing and puffing with all its might. But the harder it blows, the tighter the man clutches his jacket. Then it's the sun's turn. The sun shines, warming the man until he takes off his coat willingly.

This story's moral is that kindness and gentleness often succeed where force and aggression fail.

On the first reading, it sounds like one of those easy, feel-good lessons about being nice, but it is so much more than that. It is an evocative reminder about how we relate to a person and the world. Think about it: if someone attempts to force you to do something, your instinct is to resist.

It is human nature that the more we feel pushed around or pressured, the more we dig our heels in. But we will cooperate if anybody greets us with warmth or even a little charm. This idea is as relevant today as it was in Aesop's time. How often do people try to win arguments by shouting louder or pushing harder? That kind of force rarely changes minds or hearts. But a calm, reflective conversation with some warmth can work wonders.

The fable also speaks to the power of influence over control-the sun doesn't force the man to take off his coat.

It will give him the right conditions to decide for himself. Above all, here's a good lesson for everyone who has learned anything of value in life: hard-and-fast control over everything, and everybody in our lives normally brings frustration.

Sometimes, the best way to get what you want is to step aside, show patience, and allow your warmth to do its work. This is not just a fable about how we deal with others but also a very valid way to reflect on how we deal with ourselves. We get stuck when we beat ourselves up for mistakes or push ourselves too hard. When we treat ourselves with kindness, it's amazing how much easier it is to move forward.

So, the next time you or I feel like pushing harder on an argument, stop and remember the wind and the sun. A little warmth can go further. After all, it is not about being the strongest but about being wise enough to realize that sometimes strength is not the answer. Aesop's fable regarding the wind and sun is a simple story with an expressive meaning inside. A man walks up a road wearing a coat and gets into a friendly argument about the stronger one: the wind or the sun. To settle this, they decide to test their powers by seeing who can get the man to remove his coat. The wind goes first, huffing and puffing with all its might. But the harder it blows, the tighter the man clutches his jacket. Then it's the sun's turn. The sun shines, warming the man until he takes off his coat willingly.

This story's moral is that kindness and gentleness often succeed where force and aggression fail.

On the first reading, it sounds like one of those easy, feel-good lessons about being nice, but it is so much more than that. It is an evocative reminder about how we relate to a person and the world. Think about it: if someone attempts to force you to do something, your instinct is to resist.

It is human nature that the more we feel pushed around or pressured, the more we dig our heels in. But we will cooperate if anybody greets us with warmth or even a little charm. This idea is as relevant today as it was in Aesop's time. How often do people try to win arguments by shouting louder or pushing harder? That kind of force rarely changes minds or hearts. But a calm, reflective conversation with some warmth can work wonders.

The fable also speaks to the power of influence over control-the sun doesn't force the man to take off his coat.

It will give him the right conditions to decide for himself. Above all, here's a good lesson for everyone who has learned anything of value in life: hard-and-fast control over everything, and everybody in our lives normally brings frustration.

Sometimes, the best way to get what you want is to step aside, show patience, and allow your warmth to do its work. This is not just a fable about how we deal with others but also a very valid way to reflect on how we deal with ourselves. We get stuck when we beat ourselves up for mistakes or push ourselves too hard. When we treat ourselves with kindness, it's amazing how much easier it is to move forward.

So, the next time you or I feel like pushing harder on an argument, stop and remember the wind and the sun. A little warmth can go further. After all, it is not about being the strongest but about being wise enough to realize that sometimes strength is not the answer.