Timeless Lessons from Aesop's Fable about The Fox & the Grapes

Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox's mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.

The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain. Finally, he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.

"What a fool I am," he said. "Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for."

And off he walked very, very scornfully.

There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach.

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I've been listening to a series of lectures called "No Excuses Existentialism" from the Great Courses Series. In one of Professor Robert C. Solomon's lectures about Sartre he noted how the Nobel Prize winner made use of this particular fable to underscore its relevance for people in the 20th century, which is what prompted me to share it here.

The fable has had a variety of applications and interpretations across different disciplines, much like the four blind men who try to describe an elephant. Here are some observations from philosophy, psychology, and the success motivation field.

From Philosophy:

Existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre offered an insightful interpretation of "The Fox and the Grapes." In his perspective, the fox's reaction to the unreachable grapes symbolizes the concept of "bad faith." Sartre argued that humans often engage in bad faith by denying their freedom and responsibility, choosing to adopt false ideas or excuses rather than confront difficult situations. The fox's dismissal of the grapes he can't reach is akin to individuals denying their potential and agency, blaming external circumstances instead of taking action. I think here of the proverb, "The lazy man says, 'There's a lion in the streets.'" (Prov. 26:13)    

From Psychology:

In psychology, "The Fox and the Grapes" can be associated with the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance. When the fox fails to attain the grapes, he justifies his disappointment by convincing himself that the grapes were sour and undesirable. This cognitive dissonance occurs when individuals experience conflicting beliefs or emotions. In real-life situations, people may downplay their desires or rationalize their failures to reduce the discomfort of unfulfilled goals.

From Success Motivation:

According to some, the fable also offers insights into the success motivation field. It teaches the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of setbacks. Instead of giving up after failing to reach the grapes, successful individuals maintain their determination, learn from their experiences, and continue striving towards their goals. The idea is, "Persist and you will succeed."

Except the reality is, the fox failed. For a variety of reasons. He can't carry a ladder or climb a tree. He didn't own a cell phone so he can't phone a friend.

Owning up to one's limitations is a key part of this fable. Knowing when to move on is a key part of success. On Wall Street there's a saying in this regard: "Don't throw good money after bad." The same might apply to one's time as well. 

The story is also a warning against sour grapes mentality, where people belittle or devalue something they desire but cannot obtain. Nearly everyone involved at an early age in sports -- baseball, soccer, trank & field, football, etc.-- comes to a fork in the road where they must reflect on the reality that they will likely not make it to the Big Leagues, or be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. How we handle this is a reflection on our character. 

Yes, I dreamed of being a Big League ballplayer, but it was apparent that I had shortcomings. Nevertheless, I learned a lot of good lessons from my years in Little League and on through high school. These experiences gave me insights about teamwork, the importance of practice and sacrifice, as well as life.

A sour grapes attitude can lead to a root of bitterness and a sense of victimhood. Successful individuals avoid this trap by accepting the reality of their situation, focusing on personal growth, and adapting their strategies to achieve their aspirations. 

In reflecting on this tale I find myself wanting to take a deeper dive into more of Aesop's fables... as time permits.

Here's another fable by Aesop that I've written about. The moral of this story has been a favorite of mine for ages. Who Will Bell the Cat? A Fable of Aesop That Still Speaks Today

Grapes photo: Creative Commons. © Vyacheslav Argenberg, 

Of Hedgehogs and Foxes, with Applications to Current Events

An op-ed by Lance Morrow in today's Wall Street Journal used an Aesop's fable-style metaphor as a means of illuminating the problem with Critical Race Theory. He begins by citing an observation by political philosopher Isaiah Berlin regarding a statement by the Greek poet Archilochus: "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing."

Berlin's essay, published in 1953, suggests that the world is divided between hedgehogs and foxes. Hedgehogs like to explain things by fitting it all into one big, comprehensive super-explanation. Foxes take the approach that things don't work that way and that in fact many things are contradictory or have no explanation at all, or are at best incoherent. 

So begins Morrow's "The Hedgehogs of Critical Race Theory." The subtitle is, "They start with important truths--slavery was wicked--and get carried away into monomania."

MY PURPOSE HERE is not to discuss the pros and cons of CRT, but rather to note that this hedgehog approach to many issues has generally done more harm than good. Here are just a few examples off the top of my head.

McCarthyism
I think it's safe to say that the overzealous excesses of Senator McCarthy were driven by a monomaniacal Hedgehog worldview.

Cold War
By the end of the 20th century's two world wars, most of Western Europe had relinquished control of its colonies. On one level this was a victory for freedom as many parts of the world experienced self-rule for the first time in ages. On the other hand, this resulted in power struggles in many parts of the world. U.S. leaders took a Hedgehog view and interpreted all of these conflicts as a fight against the tentacles of Global Communism.

Marxism
Morrow points to Karl Marx as another example of Hedgehog thinking as Marx attempted to fit every problem in the world into a worker's struggle. (Saul Alinsky, in his Rules for Radicals, extended this same viewpoint into a Haves vs. Have Nots or Have Nots vs. the Status Quo.)

In fact, whether it be Global Warming/Climate Change, Critical Race Theory, Democracy, Environmentalism, Public Education or even Housing (e.g. The Housing Theory of Everything), there are hedgehogs who have distilled that issue into being the backdrop or foundation of all other problems in the world.

The WSJ editorial ends with this summation: "The hedgehog’s most profound character defects are moral vanity and self-righteousness—his fatal, paradoxical intolerance." Beware of dogmatists.

The biggest problem that I see with hedgehog thinking is what it does to dialogue. When hedgehog thinking makes everything else a threat, it kills communication, the primary way we develop solutions to complicated issues. What's needed is the Miracle of Dialogue.

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I believe the WSJ charges a small fee to read its content. If you're able, the full story can be found here:
The Hedgehogs of Critical Race Theory.

Fox photo by Linnea Sandbakk on Unsplash