The Cracked Pot

The Cracked Pot
A water bearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of
water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. The poor
cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it
had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I
am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes
water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work,
and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot and he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you
to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers
on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked
out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the
other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted
flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being
just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
The Moral of this Story:
Each of us has our own unique flaws. Most of us are cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have
that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they
are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there. The Master's moulding makes us the way we
are....!

Reminds me of the 'glass half full/empty' definition:

Optimist, the glass is half full
Pessimist, the glass is half empty
Engineer, the glass is twice as big as required
Scientist, the glass is always full of something

Engineer shouldn't judge requirements on the state of the glass.
The half-full glass is the result of a partly full technician. ]:smiley: Who wants a bigger glass.

Engineer: The glass has acceptable margin.
Product Manager: The glass could be half its size, which would save on production costs.

Hi..

A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesnโ€™t see the clouds at all โ€“ heโ€™s walking on them โ€“ Leonard Louis Levinson

I had to go googling to make sure I got it right.

Tom...... :slight_smile:
You are doing well grasshopper.....

PS We are getting phiol.. philosuf... philosophical .. the alco.. achooh.. the booze must be cutting in...

The cracked pot didn't know the water bearer wanted both pots with cracks so his trips would be less burdensome and have twice the flowers to flatter his master :wink: Poor cracked pot. You didn't know how much the water bearer loves you. :* :* :* ]:slight_smile: ]:slight_smile: ]:slight_smile:

I work with a lot of people that must have some beautiful flower arrangements on their tables.

retrolefty:
Reminds me of the 'glass half full/empty' definition:

Optimist, the glass is half full
Pessimist, the glass is half empty
Engineer, the glass is twice as big as required
Scientist, the glass is always full of something

A half empty glass is exactly the same as a half full glass.
1/2 empty = 1/2 full
multiply by 2
empty = full
0=1 :astonished:

First convert them to the same unit, emptiness or fullness, then do math :stuck_out_tongue:

liudr:
First convert them to the same unit, emptiness or fullness, then do math :stuck_out_tongue:

I know, but it confuses the uninitiated. :slight_smile:

Hi, and EEC standard glass.

Tom... :slight_smile:

liudr:
First convert them to the same unit, emptiness or fullness, then do math :stuck_out_tongue:

Emptiness. Then you can go from having almost nothing all the way to nothing!

Pots can't talk.

They can in parable-land.

The trick is not to take it literally. Since it's not is any religious book I think we're on safe ground there.

GoForSmoke:
They can in parable-land.

The trick is not to take it literally. Since it's not is any religious book I think we're on safe ground there.

Religious books? You wish they have such wonderful and deeply meaningful stories on religious books. 8)

Maybe you should read more.

I only say about not taking such tales literally because so many here do in the usual pull from context to fit whatever you want to force down someone else's life manner.

No thanks but let's not talk about religious books. This tale is pretty good by itself. It's posted on the bar and sport forum so of course people will try different ways to interpret it, whichever fits their own life's manner.

retrolefty:
Reminds me of the 'glass half full/empty' definition:

Optimist, the glass is half full
Pessimist, the glass is half empty

Heard from a neighbour who hasn't been lucky lately...
did you know a pessimist is an optimist with experience ? :smiley:

GoForSmoke:
Maybe you should read more.

I only say about not taking such tales literally because so many here do in the usual pull from context to fit whatever you want to force down someone else's life manner.

Now you're talking about the REAL crackpots, who take their religious books as literally true.

Henry_Best:

GoForSmoke:
Maybe you should read more.

I only say about not taking such tales literally because so many here do in the usual pull from context to fit whatever you want to force down someone else's life manner.

Now you're talking about the REAL crackpots, who take their religious books as literally true.

As literally true springboards to make incredible leaps of hypocrisy from.