Once upon a time, an Eastern ruler had a terrible dream: all his teeth fell out one by one. In a panic, he immediately called his chief dream interpreter.
He listened attentively to his master's story and said:
“My lord, I have bad news to bring you. Just as you have lost all your teeth, you will lose all your loved ones one by one.” Such a prophecy greatly angered the ruler. The poor soothsayer, who could not find any comforting words, was immediately thrown into prison.
Then the bishop called another sage. After listening to the story of the night vision, he said:
“My lord, I have wonderful news for you! You will live longer than all the members of your family and will outlive them all.”
The ruler was overjoyed and generously rewarded the soothsayer for such words. The courtiers froze in amazement:
“Your words were almost the same as what your predecessor said. So why did he pay with his freedom and you received a generous reward?” they asked.
The successful interpreter replied to this:
“You're right. We both deciphered the dream the same way. But it's not just about what to say, it's also about how to say it.”
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⚡ Readers' Pulse
What do you think is more important in communication: being as honest as possible or being able to present information “correctly”?
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⚖️ Truth above all 🎭 Only submission is important 🤔 I have my own opinion
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⚖️ Truth above all 33% 🎭 Only presentation is important 66% 🤔 I have my own opinion 0%
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First, new ones ↕ Bearded Pike 🎭 Only submission is important 05/12/2026 10:19 The words “ruler” and “sage” are even spelled differently, not to mention that they have completely different meanings. The ruler has one resource (power, money, army, etc.), and the sage has another – first of all, a sharp mind and ingenuity. If this is a problem, then you are not a sage, then you have a different social role. It's better not to take on the work of a sage … so as not to end up behind bars, or even pay with your life. With everything else – it's the same, either you are a professional in your craft, or you “like to pull fate by the tail” 👍 2 + Reply