Why Ducks are Smarter than Humans

Have you ever heard a story about two ducks? 🦆🦆

It's a simple story that shows how mind-obsessed people really are. Do you have a few minutes? Sit down, let me tell you. It won't take long, I promise.

When two ducks get into a fight, they won't fight for long. Instead, they quickly separate and float in opposite directions. Then each duck angrily flaps its wings a few times to release the negative energy and… totally forgets about the conflict. They float on peacefully as nothing has happened. The fight is done, so why stress about it?

Now, imagine that one of the ducks somehow evolves and gets a human mind. Would it be able to simply leave after the fight and instantly forget about it? I doubt it.

Most likely, that duck will keep the flight alive in its head for days. The duck would make up stories that would circulate in its brain. The story would probably go like this:

I can't believe what just happened. He is such an annoying duck! Does he think that he owns this pond? Ha! I'll never forget him. I'm pretty sure he will try to do this again soon. But I won't trust him again. Instead, I'll teach him a lesson he will never forget!

And that poor self-conscious duck will keep thinking and talking about the same thing for days. Its mind will be glad to repeat and improve that story every time. Its ego (and this duck probably has one) would be satisfied and grow stronger every time the duck thinks that he is right and another duck is wrong. Probably all ducks are wrong in this pod. And our poor, evolved duck is ready to fight with the world.

The body doesn't know the difference between thoughts and real events. As far as it's concerned. The fight is still not over so it keeps producing energy to fight. It fuels the negative thoughts and the poor duck just can't stop. You can already sense how hard it's going for our evolved duck to survive in that pond. Even if he does, he is destined to an unhappy life full of self-pity and worries.

However, this is how most humans live. They don't stop their battles; in fact, most events are never finished while the mind obsessively thinks about them. And our ego just loves listening to these stories. It's painful but it's also pleasurable at the same time.

---

If you think about it, everything around can teach us an important lesson, be it a flower, tree, or pet. Our job is to stay open and listen to those messages that nature is trying to send us. Once we start thinking that we are smarter than everyone else, we become unable to perceive the truth that hides in plain sight.

A lesson from a duck is this though:

Don't overthink. Flap your wings and float on peacefully. Let it go and accept that the fight is over. You have a lot of other important things to focus on, so stop wasting your energy on battles that exist only in your head. Your future you will be grateful.

__

This story was inspired by a book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. Check it out to learn how to quiet your mind, get your ego in check and live fully in a moment.

“A wake-up call for the entire planet . . . [A New Earth] helps us to stop creating our own suffering and obsessing over the past and what the future might be, and to put ourselves in the now.” —Oprah Winfrey