Choosing Partners - No. 48. The Two Pots - The Essential Aesop? - Back to Basics Abridgment Series

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.

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There were two Pots, one of clay and one of brass.?

The Brass Pot wanted to enter into a venture by floating down a brook, and he asked the Clay Pot to join with him.?“No,” said the Clay Pot, “Unlike you, I am easily broken.”?But, the Brass Pot promised to protect him, so they departed.?

Not long after, they came upon a section of rough water that caused the Clay Pot to bump into the Brass Pot, breaking the Clay Pot into many pieces.?

Said the Brass Pot, “So sorry for that, I would apologize to you, if I could. But, alas, it is too late.”

Moral of the Story: Beware of unequal friendships and risks for which you cannot provide your own protection. A promise is intention, but not necessarily capability.

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Introduction?- The Essential Aesop -?Epilogue

Related Article:?Same for You, Same for Me - The Business of Aesop? No. 48 - The Two Pots; Bad Bargains, Power, and Vulnerability By Temptation - No. 13. The Wolf and the Crane - The Essential Aesop? - Back to Basics Abridgment Series

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Why We Loved It:?Partnerships can be very good things, and partnerships can be very bad things. The difference, of course, is to choose the right partner for the context.

In this fable, Aesop exposes the danger of an unequal partnership for the weaker partner, understanding that unequal partnerships can also pose dangers for the stronger partner, too. It depends upon context.

Here, the stronger partner, in its own self-interest, convinced the weaker partner against the weaker partner's initial better judgment. The stronger partner had upside without downside. The weaker partner took a risk on the promise of the stronger partner, without thinking it through.

In the law, there is a risk assessment formula (BPL Formula) that measures risk as a function of probability and extent of injury. For example, it is highly probable that you will bump your leg, but, if you do so, without great injury, versus it is improbable that you will be struck by lightning, but, if it happens to you, with great injury. Here, there was a high probability of a catastrophic result for the Clay Pot—an extremely risky venture—and the Clay Pot should have stood its ground. It knew better, but it proceeded anyway. The failure of discipline to implement a wise assessment resulted in a foolish action, and the Clay Pot failed to sustain.

Importantly, we keep in mind that the risk is not always solely about the venture itself. Indeed, bobbling down the brook was exactly the same for both Pots, but the risk of taking that same act was personal and different for each of the two Pots.

"Never compete with someone who has nothing to lose. The struggle will be unequal. One of the contestants enters the fray unencumbered, for he has already lost everything, even his shame. He has cast off everything, has nothing further to lose, and throws himself headlong into all sorts of insolence. Never risk your precious reputation on such a person. It took many years to win it, and it can be lost in a moment, on something far from momentous. One breath of scandal freezes much honorable sweat. The righteous person knows how much is at stake. He knows what can damage his reputation, and, because he commits himself prudently, he proceeds slowly, so that prudence has ample time to retreat. Not even if he triumphs will he win back what he lost by exposing himself to the risk of losing."?~Baltasar Gracian,?The Art of Worldly Wisdom

"If you know little, stick to what is surest in each profession. They may not consider you ingenious, but they’ll think you solid. The person who knows can take risks and indulge his fantasy, but if you take risks knowing nothing, you will fall voluntarily. Keep to the right; what is tried and tested cannot fail. For those who know little, the main highway. Whether you know or don’t, sureness is safer than eccentricity." ~Baltasar Gracian,?The Art of Worldly Wisdom

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*?Gregg Zegarelli, Esq., earned both his Bachelor of Arts Degree and his Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His dual major areas of study were History from the College of Liberal Arts and Accounting from the Business School (qualified to sit for the CPA examination), with dual minors in Philosophy and Political Science. He has enjoyed Adjunct Professorships in the Duquesne University Graduate Leadership Master Degree Program (The Leader as Entrepreneur; Developing Leadership Character Through Adversity) and the University of Pittsburgh Law School (The Anatomy of a Deal). He is admitted to various courts throughout the United States of America.

Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.,?is Managing Shareholder of?Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group, PC.?Gregg is nationally rated as "superb" and has more than 35 years of experience working with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes, including startups,?INC. 500, and publicly traded companies.?He is author of?One: The Unified Gospel of Jesus,?and?The Business of Aesop? article series, and co-author with his father,?Arnold Zegarelli, of?The Essential Aesop: For Business, Managers, Writers and Professional Speakers.?Gregg is a frequent lecturer, speaker and faculty for a variety of educational and other institutions.?

? 2013 Arnold Zegarelli?and?Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.?Gregg can be contacted through?LinkedIn.?Arnold Zegarelli?can be contacted through?Facebook.

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