"The Fool Who Became a Genius: A Lesson in Negativity"

In a village, there lived a man known as the greatest fool.

He was deeply troubled because whenever he spoke, people would burst out laughing. It seemed that the villagers had already branded him a fool, and there was no escaping it.

No matter what he said, whether it made sense or not, people always laughed. As a result, he became withdrawn, rarely speaking or expressing himself.

But the problem was, if he stayed quiet, people still laughed at him, and if he spoke, they laughed even harder. If he did something, they mocked him; if he did nothing, they laughed even more. He was stuck in a miserable loop.

One day, a holy sage arrived in the village.

Hearing about the sage’s wisdom, the fool went to him one night, threw himself at the sage’s feet, and pleaded, "Please bless me! Will I spend my whole life like this, shrinking away in silence? Will I die with the label of the greatest fool? Isn't there any way for me to gain even a little bit of wisdom?"

Listening to his desperate request, the sage smiled and said, "There is a way... here, take this mantra: 'Start criticizing others.'"

The fool was confused. "What good will criticism do?"

The sage replied, "Just do it for seven days and then come back to me."

The fool asked, "What exactly do I have to do in this 'criticism'?"

The sage explained, "No matter what anyone says, always respond with a negative comment. If someone says, 'Look at how beautiful the sunrise is!' you should say, 'What's beautiful about it? Prove it! The sun has been rising for billions of years. It’s just a ball of fire—what’s so beautiful about that?'"

"If someone admires a beautiful woman, you should say, 'What's so special about her? Just because her nose is a bit longer or her skin is fair, what does that mean? Even lepers can have fair skin. Where’s the beauty in that? Prove it!'"

"Always demand proof from others and make sure you remain negative. Keep them on the defensive, and you stay firm in your criticism."

"And after seven days, come back to me."

A week later, the fool returned—but he wasn’t alone. He now had many followers, garlands of flowers around his neck, and a band playing music in his honor.

He rushed to the sage’s feet and exclaimed, "Your trick worked, Master! The whole village has gone silent in front of me. Wherever I go, people lower their heads. Word has spread that I am a genius because no one can defeat me in an argument. What should I do next?"

The sage replied, "Now, don’t do anything more. Stay where you are. If you want to preserve this newfound ‘wisdom,’ never engage in positive thinking. If someone speaks of God, immediately declare your atheism. Always remain negative, no matter what is said."

"Because, you see, it's almost impossible to defeat a negative statement. It’s incredibly hard to prove something positive. To accept anything requires great wisdom, sharp analysis, a deeply insightful mind, and a fully aware consciousness. You need an inner light to understand and appreciate the positive."

"But... to be stubborn, to criticize, and to reject everything? That requires nothing. No skill, no intelligence."

"That’s why people in this world love to criticize."

This story is dedicated to all those who consistently spread negativity, whether on a personal or professional?level.