Wisdom story: A lesson about establishing true worth

One day, a young man, burdened with sorrow, approached the wisest man in the village, known as the Teacher. His eyes were filled with despair as he spoke, “Teacher, I have come to you because I feel completely worthless. I no longer see a reason to go on living. Everyone around me says that I am a failure, a useless fool. What if they are right? Please, I need your guidance.” The Teacher studied the young man for a moment before responding. “I am truly sorry, my son, but I am very busy at this moment. I must urgently settle an important matter. However, if you agree to help me with my task, I will gladly assist you in return.” The young man hesitated, feeling a sting of disappointment. Once again, he felt as though his problems were unimportant, secondary to everything else. Still, he nodded and said, “Of course, Teacher. I will help.” The Teacher smiled gently, then removed a small ring from his little finger. The ring had a beautiful stone that gleamed in the light. “Take this ring and ride down to the market square. I must sell it to pay a debt. Try to get the highest price possible, but under no circumstances should you accept anything less than a gold coin. Return to me as soon as you have completed this task.” The young man took the ring and set off toward the market. Upon arrival, he confidently approached the merchants and offered them the ring for sale. At first, many seemed interested, inspecting the ring carefully. However, the moment he mentioned the price—a gold coin—they immediately lost interest. Some scoffed at him, others turned away without a word, and one elderly merchant kindly explained that the ring was not worth a gold coin. “At most,” the old man said, “you might get a silver coin, but even that is generous.”

Frustrated but determined to follow the Teacher’s instructions, the young man continued to offer the ring to others. He spoke to nearly a hundred people in the market, yet the result was the same. Feeling dejected and humiliated, he finally gave up and rode back to the Teacher, his head hanging low. Upon arrival, he handed the ring back and admitted his failure. “Teacher, I did all that I could, but no one was willing to give me a gold coin for the ring. At best, I could have gotten two silver coins. But you instructed me not to settle for less than gold. I don’t even know if this ring is truly worth that much.” The Teacher’s eyes gleamed with wisdom as he replied, “You have spoken very important words, my son. Before one attempts to sell something, one must first understand its true value. Who would be better suited to determine this than a jeweler? Take the ring once more and visit the jeweler in town. Ask him what price he would offer, but no matter what he says, do not sell the ring. Bring his answer back to me.” The young man obeyed and rode to the jeweler’s shop. The jeweler examined the ring carefully, using a magnifying glass and weighing it with his precise scales. Finally, he looked up and spoke. “Tell the Teacher that right now, I can offer no more than fifty-eight gold coins for this ring. However, if he allows me two days, I am prepared to buy it for seventy gold coins, as it is truly valuable.” The young man gasped in shock. Seventy gold coins? He had been struggling to get even one! Bursting with excitement, he thanked the jeweler and rode back to the Teacher at full speed.

Upon his return, he eagerly recounted what had happened. The Teacher listened patiently, then motioned for him to sit. “Now, my son, understand this, You are like this ring, precious and irreplaceable. But only an expert, someone who truly understands your worth, can recognize it. So why do you wander the marketplace of life, seeking validation from those who are not qualified to judge you?” The young man sat in stunned silence, letting the lesson sink deep into his heart. For the first time, he understood that his value was not determined by those who did not truly see him for who he was. His worth was not diminished by the opinions of those who did not understand him. From that day on, he no longer sought approval from the wrong people. Instead, he focused on recognizing his own value and surrounding himself with those who truly appreciated him.