Socrates' Lesson

One sunny autumn afternoon, ancient Greece.

Plato asked his mentor Socrates, "teacher, could you tell me what is love?"

Socrates pointed at the wheat field in front of them, full of wheat that were ripe, beautifully golden and standing tall. "Plato, why dont you go into the field and bring me the best crop in the field, but remember, you can only walk through the field once, so you can't turn around, neither can you change the crop you selected. just one walk, one crop, one chance."

So went Plato into the field. He keep seeing good, strong and tall crop. However, whenever he wants to pick the crop, he always thinks "there'll better one further up ahead." so he kept walking. but before he could make a choice, he came to the edge of the field, without a crop in his hand.

Then he went back to his mentor, with nothing. His teacher asked him why is there nothing, and Plato said "when there's a good looking crop, i wanted to take it, but again, i thought there will be better ones ahead. so i went on, and before i could choose anything, i've came to the end of the field, i couldnt go back, and so i didnt get anything.

Socrates just smiled at him and said "this, my boy, is love."

So Plato asked again, " then teacher, what is marriage?"

Socrates said" oh well, why dont you go into the field again? same rules, bring me the best crop you see."

This time Plato came best very soon, with a crop in his hand, but it was not fantastic looking, rather, it was just a normal crop. So Socrates asked him why.

"This time i dont want to repeat the mistake i've made last time around. so i just selected the first good looking crop i saw."

Socrates smiled again, and said"now you know what is marriage."