The Story of the Chinese Farmer

5 Lessons in Resilience and Adaptability

There’s a story that’s been floating around the internet called The Story of the Chinese Farmer. It’s a Taoist parable about a farmer who faced many challenges in his life. However, he always had a calm and wise attitude toward everything that happened to him. The story goes like this:

One day, his horse ran away. His neighbors came to console him and said, "What bad luck!" The farmer replied, "Maybe."

The next day, his horse came back with two wild horses. His neighbors came to congratulate him and said, "What good luck!" The farmer replied, "Maybe."

The day after that, his son tried to ride one of the wild horses and fell off, breaking his leg. His neighbors came to sympathize with him and said, "What bad luck!" The farmer replied, "Maybe."

The day after that, the army came to recruit young men for war. They saw his son's broken leg and left him alone. His neighbors came to celebrate with him and said, "What good luck!" The farmer replied, "Maybe."