Swimming - a parable
There was once a land, perhaps a little like your own, in which some people knew how to swim and some people did not. Everyone thought this entirely normal and acceptable and no one gave the matter a moment’s thought.
Until…
One day, for reasons we need not discuss here, the Emperor, having consulted with some Mystics, declared this state of affairs to be intolerable. Those who could not swim must be taught - and those who could swim must also be taught, just to be sure and fair. “No one can swim until everyone can swim!” proclaimed the Emperor. All forms of bathing were immediately prohibited, until a solution could be found.
Several months later, there was a joyous announcement: Swimming Experts had devised a revolutionary new method of Training. So powerful was this Training that it required only a single session and became effective just three days after being administered. The results were nothing short of incredible. Irrespective of the age, health, or fitness level of those receiving the Training, one hundred percent of ‘Trained’ people were able to swim. “Rejoice, for we have brought you salvation!” cried the Emperor. The people rejoiced.
The Training itself was simple: Each trainee was dropped into the middle of a very large, very deep lake and left there. Three days later, the Training became effective and the trainee was deemed ‘Trained’.
Gratefully, the people attended their Training sessions. It was indeed observed that all 'Trained' people were able to swim (with a few extremely rare exceptions, who were easily dealt with by repeating the session). The Emperor, the Mystics and the Experts boasted of their great success and, emboldened, moved on to bigger and better things…
And they all swam happily ever after.
Until…
A few people noticed that some of those who attended the Training sessions did not return and that there seemed to be a strange increase in deaths around the time of some Training sessions. They began to question the Training.
The Emperor, the Mystics and the Experts were angered and dismissed this as nonsense. It was explained again that a person was considered ‘Trained’ from three days after their session, since it took the Training three days to become effective. Thus, a person who happened to die, for example, shortly after being dropped into the lake, was still ‘Un-trained’ and it was patently obvious, to anyone but a fool, that their unfortunate demise could not, in any way, be connected with the Training. On the contrary, the increased number of ‘Un-trained’ deaths and the low number of ‘Trained’ deaths proved the extraordinary effectiveness of the Training.
Everyone agreed that the real problem was neither the Training, nor the Emperor, nor the Mystics, nor the Experts, but was, in fact, those who questioned them and those who remained ‘Un-trained’. These people were not only insolent; they were a menace to society - and were dealt with accordingly.
The End.
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