One day, a donkey told a tiger, “The grass is blue.”
The tiger replied, “No, the grass is green.”
They argued for so long that they decided to take the matter to the lion, the king of the jungle.
Before they even reached the clearing where the lion sat on his throne, the donkey shouted, “Your Majesty, isn’t it true that the grass is blue?”
The lion calmly answered, “Yes, the grass is blue.”
The donkey quickly added, “The tiger keeps disagreeing with me and it’s driving me crazy. Please punish him.”
The lion declared, “The tiger will remain silent for five years.”
Overjoyed, the donkey skipped away, proudly repeating, “The grass is blue, the grass is blue.”
The tiger accepted his punishment but could not help asking, “Your Majesty, why did you punish me when the grass is actually green?”
The lion replied, “Indeed, the grass is green. But your punishment has nothing to do with the color of the grass. You are being punished because a wise and courageous creature like you should never waste time arguing with a donkey, and certainly not bring such nonsense to me.”
The greatest waste of time is arguing with someone who cares nothing for the truth, only for winning. Some people, no matter how much evidence you give them, will never understand. Others are blinded by ego, hatred, or resentment, and will cling to being right even when they are wrong.
When ignorance shouts, intelligence stays quiet. Your peace of mind will always be worth more than proving a point.