--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe (Taoist story) A classic ancient…" description: "\"“Maybe (Taoist story) A classic ancient story illustrates the importance of equanimity and emotional resilience beautifully. Once upon a time, there wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/christopher-dines-7000_bad-luck_maybe-taoist-story-a-classic-ancient-sto_561811.jpg" --- # Maybe (Taoist story) A classic ancient story illustrates… ![“Maybe (Taoist story) A classic ancient story illustrates the importance of equanimity and emotional resilience beautifully. Once upon a time, there was a wise old farmer who had worked on the land for over 40 years. One morning, while walking to his stable, he noticed that his horse had run away…” quote by Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/christopher-dines-7000_bad-luck_maybe-taoist-story-a-classic-ancient-sto_561811.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/christopher-dines-7000_bad-luck_maybe-taoist-story-a-classic-ancient-sto_561811.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/christopher-dines-7000_bad-luck_maybe-taoist-story-a-classic-ancient-sto_561811.jpg) > ““Maybe (Taoist story) A classic ancient story illustrates the importance of equanimity and emotional resilience beautifully. Once upon a time, there was a wise old farmer who had worked on the land for over 40 years. One morning, while walking to his stable, he noticed that his horse had run away. His neighbours came to visit and sympathetically said to the farmer, “Such bad luck”. “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The following morning, however, the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “Such good luck,” the neighbours exclaimed. “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The following afternoon, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses and was thrown off, causing him to break his leg. The neighbours came to visit and tried to show sympathy and said to the farmer, “how unfortunate”. “Maybe,” answered the farmer. The following morning military officials came to the farmer’s village to draft young men into the army to fight in a new war. Observing that the farmer’s son’s leg was broken, they did not draft him into the war. The neighbours congratulated him on his good luck and the farmer calmly replied, “Maybe”.”” [Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dines/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A Taoist parable illustrates the farmer’s equanimity toward life’s unpredictable events, emphasizing that outcomes are neither inherently good nor bad. **In simple terms:** Farmer stays calm amid changing fortunes, seeing each event as neutral. Key Takeaway Cultivate calm acceptance of life’s ups and downs. Themes philosophy resilience mindfulness Mood contemplative serene Type philosophical teaching storytelling When to use this quote - daily setbacks - unexpected gains - health challenges - career changes Key Concepts Equanimity non‑attachment Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice non‑judgment toward daily events? - What does “maybe” teach about control? A Different Perspective The story may oversimplify complex cause‑effect relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) [Burnout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burnout/) [Calmness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calmness/) [Christopher-dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christopher-dines/) [Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness/) [Mindfulness-burnout-prevention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness-burnout-prevention/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Wild horses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-horses/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [“The Taoists realized that no single concept or value could be considered absolute or superior. 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One morning, while walking to his stable, he noticed that his horse had run away. His neighbours came to visit and sympathetically said to the farmer, “Such bad luck”. “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The following morning, however, the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “Such good luck,” the neighbours exclaimed. “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The following afternoon, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses and was thrown off, causing him to break his leg. The neighbours came to visit and tried to show sympathy and said to the farmer, “how unfortunate”. “Maybe,” answered the farmer. The following morning military officials came to the farmer’s village to draft young men into the army to fight in a new war. Observing that the farmer’s son’s leg was broken, they did not draft him into the war. 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