Do Not Change Your Nature

I came across a great story, and I wanted to share it with you. The message is clear, but the means a bit unexpected.

“A man saw a snake being burned to death and decided to take it out of the fire. When he did, the snake but him causing excruciating pain.  The man dropped the snake, and the reptile fell right back into the fire.  So, the man grabbed a metal pole, took the snake out of the fire, and saved its life.”

Someone who was watching approached the man and said “that snake bit you. Why are you still trying to save it?”. The man replied” “the nature of the snake is to bite, but that’s not gonna change my nature, which is to help. Do not change your nature simply because someone harms you. Do not lose your good heart, only learn to take precautions.”

The events in this story remind me of something that is extremely important to me, which are intentions. And I feel like that word is synonymous with the concept of “nature” in this story. The snake’s intention was to protect itself, not to hurt.  The man realizes that and decides not to punish the snake for its actions, and follow through on his own intentions, which was to help.  

The observable world is one thing, and many events can be misconstrued into the wrong interpretation. The purest form of behavior is behavioral intent, and seeing through the action into that intent will help you decide how to act.

Gain clarity on your own intentions, and don’t compromise them just because it appears that a situation doesn’t call for them. It’s not in your nature.