Wisdom story: Why does a lion tamer use a chair to control a lions focus?

There was once a master lion tamer in a famous circus, a man known far and wide for his incredible ability to control the fiercest of lions. He had spent decades in the ring, captivating audiences with his courage and skill. But time had caught up with him, and retirement was near. The circus management, recognizing the need for a worthy successor, sought out a young apprentice to train under the master before he stepped away from the spotlight. After an extensive search, hundreds of candidates were evaluated, but only one was chosen, a bright, eager young man determined to master the art of lion taming. The training began immediately, and the young student was ready to learn everything his mentor had to teach. For the very first lesson, the master gathered the student into the lion’s cage which was empty for now, and held up two objects, a whip and a chair. “These,” he said, “are the only tools you will need to control a lion. Now, tell me which one do you think is more valuable?”

The student furrowed his brow, glancing between the two items. Without hesitation, he pointed to the whip. “Surely the whip,” he said confidently. “With it, you can strike and command the lion.” The master chuckled and shook his head. “No, my boy. The most important tool is the chair. But not just any chair it’s the four legs of the chair that matter the most.” The student’s face twisted in confusion. “A chair? That’s odd! But why a chair? And why the four legs?” The master lion tamer’s expression turned serious as he explained, “A lion is one of the most powerful creatures on Earth. It can easily overpower, maul, and kill a person in seconds. However, there is one thing that weakens even the mightiest of lions… and that is a distraction.” The young apprentice listened intently as the master continued, “A lion can only attack effectively if it can focus on a singular target. When I hold up the chair, the four legs present multiple points of focus. The lion tries to process all four at once, and in doing so, it becomes confused. It is unable to concentrate, unable to decide which leg to attack first. And so, frozen by its own inability to focus, the lion hesitates. That hesitation is what keeps the lion tamer safe.”

The student’s eyes widened as the realization sank in. “So, it’s not strength that controls the lion, it’s the distraction?” The master nodded. “Exactly. The whip is merely for show, to create noise, to enhance the spectacle. But the chair is what keeps the lion at bay. The trick isn’t about fighting the lion’s power head-on; it’s about controlling its focus.” The student stood there, deep in thought, letting the wisdom of his mentor settle in. The master then added, “And this lesson, my boy, is not just about lion taming. This is about life. Distractions are everywhere. If you let your mind focus on too many things at once, you become paralyzed, just like the lion. Fear, doubt, anger, too many choices, all these things will keep you from acting, from making progress. But if you learn to focus, to choose your battles wisely, then nothing, no matter how big or powerful, will be able to stop you.” The student nodded slowly, understanding that he had just learned more than a circus trick, he had learned a lesson for life. From that day on, he trained with a new mindset, not just to control lions, but to control himself.