A simple answer to a not so simple question

I don’t know if this is true or not and it does not really matter. It is an amazing lesson we should all embrace.

In the Far East there was a very secret order of monks. As secret monks often are these were extremely guarded. Very little is known about these monks other than this one story.

Every 15 years or so, the monks descend into the nearby village and choose the best, brightest and most capable young boys to train with them in the possibility that the young boys may graduate into their order.

The training is so physically and mentally crushing that legend has it only one young boy every few decades actually makes it through and joins the order.

The boys’ training is exhausting and fierce. Each day is a battle and through a combination of exhaustion, injury and lack of mental toughness very few make it through the training.

Their numbers dwindle day by day until the day the final test arrives and only four boys remain. The final exam is to be administered by the head monk, known only as Zhou. All the other monks look up to Zhou, aspire to be like him and obey his will without question.

The final exam?

Just kidding.

Each boy is given a piece of paper with one simple question and are instructed to write down the answer to the question on that piece of paper. They are to fold it and keep it on them where no one can read it. They are told to think carefully about their answer because those who get it wrong will perish.

Not too much pressure right?

The four remaining boys are taken to the top of the mountain, blindfolded and bound and placed at the edge.

Zhou approaches the first boy, removes his piece of paper with the question and the answer. He thoughtfully considers the boy’s answer. After a moment of contemplation he pushes the boy over the edge to his death.

Zhou approaches the second boy and retrieves his paper and reads his answer. Zhou also pushes this boy over the edge.

Zhou approaches the third boy and as the two before, Zhou retrieves his paper and reads his answer. Upon reading the boy’s answer, Zhou, without saying a word, pushes the boy over the edge.

Finally Zhou arrives in front of the remaining boy. Calmly and deliberately, Zhou lifts the piece of paper from the boy and begins to read his answer slowly, carefully and surely. He puts the piece of paper down and then asks the other monks to untie the boy.

The boy’s answer was correct. He passed the final test and was accepted into the order.

Now you may wonder the answer on the piece of paper?

The question asked of the students in the final test was “WHY?”

Legend states that the boy who passed the test answered…

“WHY NOT?”

What questions and answers are you working on these days?
Let me know in the comments. Would love to hear from you.