A Lesson on Morals from a Corn Field

[293 words] An ambitious farmer, unhappy about the yield of his crops, heard of a highly recommended new seed corn. He bought some and produced a crop that was so abundant his astonished neighbors asked him to sell them a portion of the new seed. But the farmer, afraid that he would lose a profitable competitive advantage, refused. The second year the new seed did not produce as good a crop, and when the third-year crop was still worse it dawned upon the farmer that his prize corn was being pollinated by the inferior grade of corn from his neighbors’ fields. In a lot of ways, we aren’t all that different from the farmer. We look for ways to improve our condition. We look for guidance. We try out the newest ideas and advice. We set goals and resolutions. We read self-help books. However, no matter how much we implement…