Wisdom story: What can you learn about greed from chocolate

Once, a student in high school approached his teacher with a simple yet profound question, “What is greed?” The teacher, wanting to teach through experience rather than mere words, suggested an experiment. He told the student, “In order for me to provide the best possible answer to your question, I suggest you go through the chocolate factory next to our school and pick the one chocolate you like the most. There is only one rule: you can pick any chocolate, no matter its taste, size, or value, but as you walk forward, you cannot go back to pick a chocolate you previously passed. You must choose as you go forward.” Intrigued, the student eagerly accepted the challenge and made his way to the chocolate factory. As soon as he entered, his senses were overwhelmed by the rich aroma of cocoa. The sight of neatly arranged chocolates, each more enticing than the last, filled him with excitement. At the entrance, he saw delicious pieces of chocolate, some small, some large, some wrapped in gold foil, others covered in nuts and caramel. But he thought to himself, “Surely if these chocolates look this good at the start, there must be even better ones further inside. If I pick now, I might miss out on something even greater.”

With this thought in mind, he moved forward, resisting the urge to choose too soon. With every step, he encountered chocolates that were even bigger and more elaborate. He smiled, thinking he had made the right decision. However, as he advanced deeper into the factory, he started to notice a change. The chocolates were no longer as large or as extravagant. They began to look more ordinary, more like the ones he would see in any regular store. Doubt crept into his mind. “Have I missed my chance?” he wondered. Still, he convinced himself to keep going. “Maybe, just maybe, the best is at the very end,” he reassured himself. But as he reached the final room, his heart sank. The room was empty. There were no chocolates left to choose from.

Regret washed over him. He had been so focused on finding something better that he had overlooked the great opportunities that had already passed him by. And when he finally realized he needed to make a choice, it was too late. Feeling ashamed, the student returned to school, ready to share the results of the experiment with his teacher. When he arrived, the teacher was already waiting for him, holding a big box of chocolates. He handed it to the student and smiled. “Greed,” the teacher explained, “is when we are so obsessed with getting more that we end up with nothing. We ignore good opportunities in the hope of finding something better. And when we finally realize our mistake, we are left with regret instead of reward.” The student listened carefully, understanding the lesson in a way he never could have from just words alone. He thanked the teacher, opened the box of chocolates, and decided to share them with his classmates. This time, he did not hesitate to appreciate what he had in front of him.