Scorpion Stings

A story that often told has to do with a scorpion promising not to sting a hippo if the hippo will help him get across the river.  The hippo agrees to give the scorpion the help he needs, but halfway across the river the scorpion stings the hippo, thereby destroying them both. As they drown, the hippo asks why the scorpion had to go ahead and sting him, dooming them both, and the scorpion says, “It is the nature of the scorpion to sting.”

The moral of this story is that someone who has caused trouble in the past is likely to cause trouble in the future, no matter how much he claims to have changed. So it is in your best interest to be very wary of such people.

We need to understand that it is human nature that bad things happen – that the scorpion stings. It isn’t a matter of if you’ll get stung, it’s a matter of when. But if you fear the sting too much – so much that you don’t risk it – you’ll never enjoy the privilege and benefits of being alive. Expect to get stung, expect it will hurt a lot, learn something from it and get on with your life.

These setbacks and disappointments will happen – and the more you’re out there, the more they’ll happen – but being prepared makes all the difference.