Discipline vs. Ignorance

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there lived a great, powerful, mighty, but yet kind king. He had two sons, alike in appearance and in mind. Yet one listened to his father’s counsel while the other tried to find his own ways. Both had the dream to sail the seas and go to new places and talked about it quite often.
The king supported their dreams and one day called his sons into the palace.

“My sons. I do agree with your dreams to go out to sea, but I will not allow you to go out to sea without any knowledge of your surroundings. You shall stay here and learn about the sea.”

The first son agreed that he would think about this, but the other pushed it away.

“I do not need to study about the seas and ships. For I will not need any knowledge; the ship’s crew will know more than enough. I will not wait two years to accomplish my dream. Sail I will in one month from this day, and when I return, you will be glad that you did not make me stay. For I will find new lands and bring back treasures that you could not dream of. I will not let you ruin my dream. Do not correct me.

The other son had the exact opposite opinion and decision.

“I am sorry, father, that I ever thought of going. And without your blessing to the quest, I would have been lost. I will stay and learn. When the time comes, and when I have your leave, I will set off and find new lands. Forgive me for thinking otherwise.”

The great, powerful, mighty and kind king was glad for his son’s agreement, but with the other son, their relationship would never be the same.

As the son said, one month to the day he sailed off, with a crew of 40 men. He did not know where he was going and neither did his shipmates. After 3 months of
sailing, the son became angry with himself. He wished he had listened to his father. But suddenly, they spotted an island up ahead. When they landed on it, they noticed a little hut. Out came an old man. He told them his story and about how he sailed the sea, but his ship was caught in a storm, and was crashed on this island. Ever since, he has been here. The son decided to stay here a while and learn from this old man in the ways of the seas.

But soon, the son grew tired of the old man’s corrections. He left the island, and the man, behind. It would be the greatest mistake he would make. As soon as he sailed out, a storm came, and with the old man watching, the boat sank. All but one shipmate perished. That one swam back to the island and lived there with the old man. Many months later, they were rescued and reported back to the king about what happened to his son.

The first son, three years later set off, after long hours of studying, to sea. He came back two years later with great wealth and even more knowledge. The discipline of his teachers and his father taught him to never give up and to hold on to his dreams.


He who loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.
Proverbs 12:1