Grandma Monkey’s Advice
There was a young monkey who wished for more popularity among the other monkeys.
So he asked his wise grandmother what he needed to do in order to gain the respect and admiration of others.
“Strive for excellence in all that you do but know you will never achieve it. Aim to be useful to others, be slow to take offense, and tell the truth: most importantly to yourself.”
“That seems hard” said the small monkey. “Indeed,” said the wise grandma. “The payoff is slow and the rewards accrue over time.”
“How do I get a lot of attention quickly?” asked small monkey, “I want immediate results.”
“Oh, for that just be provocative,” said Grandma, “The easiest way to be provocative is to say or do something with conviction that others believe to be wrong.”
“Very few can resist the urge to correct, shame or mock others. This principle is very useful if you must get engagement to achieve your goals.”
Medieval marginalia, date unknown