The Art of Strategies

Incredible story, full of lessons. In one village lived a rich man, a butcher and a baker. Every day, the baker would go through each family and give each one the bread. The same thing happened to the butcher who, after having killed his ox, distributed half of the meat to the villagers. As for the rich man, nothing at all. One day the rich man got sick, no one in the village came to visit him. His state of health deteriorated day by day and no one visited him. He eventually succumbed to his illness. He was buried only by members of his family, as the villagers refused to help them because during his lifetime, the rich man had done nothing for them. The day after the rich man's death, neither the butcher nor the baker were still giving anything to the villagers. As the situation is repeated every day and the inhabitants used to receive meat and bread every morning, they went out to complain to the butcher and the baker. The two let them know that it was the rich man who bought the ...

A samurai, a fierce warrior, was fishing peacefully on the bank of a river. He caught a fish and was about to cook it when the cat, hidden under a bush, jumped up and stole his prey. Upon realizing this, the samurai became enraged, pulled out his saber and with one blow cut the cat in two. This warrior was a fervent Buddhist and the remorse of having killed a living being did not allow him to live in peace later. Upon entering the house, the whisper of the wind in the trees murmured meow. The people he passed seemed to say meow to him. The children's gaze reflected meows. When he approached, his friends meowed incessantly. At night he dreamed nothing but meows. During the day, every sound, thought or act of his life was transformed into a meow. He himself had become a meow. His condition was only getting worse. His obsession pursued him, tortured him without respite or rest. Unable to stop the meowing, he went to the temple to ask an old Zen master for advice. –...

Russian scientists have studied the stray dogs of Moscow and their evolution since the fall of communism. These animals have demonstrated a capacity for adaptation to the environment and to new circumstances that surpasses in many cases by far that of humans. One of the skills developed by these canines is their habit of taking the subway in the mornings to get to the center of Moscow and taking it again at night to return to their homes. In the center of the city, food can be easily obtained, but not sleeping comfortably. They know exactly where and when to get on, observing, even, that they usually choose the cars with the least people (the first and the last usually), something that, according to Eugene Linden, requires reasoning and conscious thought. They are, moreover, capable of not losing their stop, thanks to their excellent sense of time that allows them to calculate their journey, to the recognition of the name of the station or its smell or to a combination of all these...

It was extremely difficult to divorce in medieval Europe, so couples who were fed up with each other sometimes opted to end the marriage with a divorce duel. The combat instructor and advisor to the German court, Hans Talhofer, wrote Fechtbuch ("Book of Fencing") in 1467, an illustrated tome that included techniques for couples involved in such duels. Since men have obvious physical advantages, things had to be leveled. Husbands, armed with three clubs, had to fight from within a waist-high hole and about one meter wide, with one hand tied to the body. Wives were armed with three stones that weighed up to eight pounds, tied in a cloth like a battery in a sock, and could move freely around the hole. The weapons of both sides had to be the same length. A husband who touched the edge of the hole lost a club. If he did it three times, he had to continue unarmed. If that happened, he would probably have to try to get his wife into the hole before she hit him on the head. Tal...

In the jungle lived three lions. One day the monkey, the representative elected by the animals, called a meeting to ask them for a decision. We all know that the lion is the king of the animals, but for a big doubt in the jungle: there are 3 lions and the 3 are very strong. To which of them should we obey? Which of them should be our King? The lions learned of the meeting and commented among themselves: It's true, the concern of the animals makes a lot of sense. A jungle cannot have 3 kings. We do not want to fight among ourselves because we are very good friends... We need to know who will be the chosen one, but, how to find out? Once again the animals gathered and after much deliberation, they reached a decision and communicated it to the 3 lions: - We have found a very simple solution to the problem, and we have decided that you 3 are going to climb Mount Difficult. The one who reaches the top first will be consecrated our King. Mount Difficult was the highest of all t...

A popular tale from Venezuela where the strategy of the rabbit that was caught by a tiger and how he managed to escape is told. On a lovely summer afternoon, a rabbit was resting peacefully, lying on the grass. Silently, a tiger approached him and with a roar, threatened him. -You're mine, elusive rabbit! I've been trying to catch you for days and I finally have you! There was no escape! He had the tiger's jaws so close that he could even feel his fetid breath on his pink nose. The only possibility he had left was to take advantage of his own cunning. – Wait a moment, wait a moment, Mr. Tiger! I have something very important to tell you. – What do you want? I don't feel like talking, I feel like eating you in one bite! The rabbit swallowed his saliva and faced him, disguising his fear. -Have you seen me well? Don't you see how skinny and small I am? – Yes, but I don't care! I'm going to eat you anyway, so don't resist! – Well, you're wr...

A poor man leaves home to work and save money for his wife. After 20 years, he returns with three pieces of advice. A newlywed couple were very poor and lived off the favors of the people of a small town. One day the husband made the following proposal to his wife: "Dear, I am going to leave our house for a while, I will look for a job and I will work until I have earned enough money to return and be able to give you a more comfortable and dignified life. I don't know how long I will be away from you, I only ask one thing, that you wait for me and be faithful to me. On my part, I promise to be faithful to you." So, the young man walked for several days, until he finally found a landowner who was needing an assistant for his estate. The young man offered to work and was accepted. But he decided to make a pact with his boss: "Let me work for a while and when you think it's time for me to leave, you will release me from my obligations. I don't want to re...

On the night of October 30, 1501, on the eve of All Saints' Day, Pope Alexander VI and his son Cesare Borgia organized a grand party in the Apostolic Palace Vatican. To this party were invited several cardinals and bishops, as well as the most important authorities of Rome. As was usual in these celebrations, the banquet was luxurious and no expense was spared, serving a great variety of food and drink for the enjoyment of those present. However, and despite the fact that the dishes were fabulous, the best was yet to come. And it was that once the desserts were finished, and to the surprise of the guests, Cesare Borgia ordered that the tables be cleared and several candelabras be placed on the floor. Immediately, about fifty courtesans (euphemism at that time for high-class prostitutes) entered the room and began to dance sensually around them. They undressed to the rhythm of the music, tied the women's hands behind their backs, threw chestnuts on the floor and they had to ...

Engel, a Jewish owner of the most famous bakery in Germany, used to say: "Do you know why I'm alive today? I was only a teenager when the Nazis in Germany mercilessly killed the Jews. The Nazis took us by train to Auschwitz. At night it was mortally cold in the compartment. We stayed many days in the wagons without food, without beds and, therefore, without a way to keep warm. It was snowing everywhere. The cold wind froze our cheeks every second. We were hundreds of people in those cold and horrible nights. Without food, without water, without shelter. The blood froze in our veins. Next to me was an elderly Jewish man very dear in my city. He was all trembling and had a terrible look. I surrounded him with my arms to keep him warm. I hugged him tight to give him a little heat. I massaged his arms, legs, face, neck. I begged him to stay alive. I encouraged him. In this way, I kept the man warm all night. I myself was tired and cold. My fingers were stiff, but I did not sto...

In life, we all make mistakes and have missed opportunities that we regret when we are older. In this list, 35 things that we may regret when we are old are presented, such as not having traveled enough, not having learned another language, staying in a bad relationship, not having taken care of our health, not having pursued our dreams, among others. 1. Not having traveled when you had the opportunity. Traveling becomes increasingly difficult as you age, as having a family of 3 or more people is more complicated than supporting yourself alone. 2. Not having learned another language. You will regret it when you remember that you spent more than 4 years learning English in school and you don't remember anything. 3. Staying in a bad relationship. Remember that "if you decide to be in an unhappy relationship, you have decided to be unhappy." Believe me, no one who has left a bad relationship in the past has turned around without saying that they would have liked to lea...

 A man with overweight problems calls a company and orders a program to lose 5kg in 5 days. The next day, there is a knock on his door, the man opens it and sees a very pretty girl wearing only running shoes (naked). She introduces herself as a representative of the company and has a sign that says "If you catch me, I'm yours." The girl starts running and the man, without thinking, runs after her... After a few miles, the man gets tired, he can't take it anymore and gives up. The same girl appears the next 4 days and the same thing happens. On the 5th day, the man weighs himself and notices that he has indeed lost 5kg as promised. The next day, the man calls the company again and orders the program to lose 10kg in 5 days. The next day, there is a knock on his door and the most beautiful and sexy woman he has ever seen appears. She is completely naked, wearing only running shoes and a sign that says "If you catch me, I'm yours." The man starts...

An old man had a lake on his property. After a long time, he decided to go and see if everything was in order. He took a basket to take advantage of the walk and bring some fruits along the way... As he approached the lake, he heard lively voices. He saw a group of women bathing, completely naked. Upon seeing him, they all went to the deepest part of the lake, keeping only their heads out of the water. One of the women shouted: We will not come out while you are here! The old man replied: I did not come here to see you swim or come out naked from the lake! Raising the basket, he said to them: I am here to feed the crocodile.... MORAL: Age, experience, and cunning will always triumph over youth and enthusiasm.

Jorge had a beautiful wife and worked as a Designer, his wife named Carmen, worked as a secretary. Whenever they both came home from work, they were very tired and stressed by their work duties but still, the husband tried to cheer up his wife by making jokes, playing with her, tickling her, etc. The wife did not follow along, she only wanted to eat and go to bed to rest, the husband simply lowered his head and to avoid problems, he did not say anything so he went to wash the dishes, he tidied up the apartment while she slept. He did all this to help his wife so that she would not have much work at home, but things continued the same. The husband went out one Friday from work and a friend invited him for some drinks to let off some steam. Jorge accepted and they went to drink, but the friend took him to a brothel, Jorge upon seeing that they were heading to the "chongo" as his friend said, he said that he did not want to, but the friend insisted and convinced him. Jorge a...

A young woman sat down next to an elderly man on a plane. She alerted the flight attendant as she took her seat. The flight attendant responded warmly, but the woman said abruptly: "Please find me another seat immediately. The flight attendant replied: "I'm sorry, ma'am, but the economy cabin is completely booked.” The woman responded: "But I can't travel next to an old useless man. Do something.” As the old man looked on in disbelief, the flight attendant said: "I'll speak to the captain about this.” The flight attendant went to see the captain and asked: "Captain, a woman is uncomfortable sitting next to an old poor man. What should we do?” Surprisingly, the captain's face changed. He seemed amused and said: "This woman is interesting. I've never encountered a problem like this before. I have a plan. Listen...” And the captain told the flight attendant what he wanted to do. The flight attendant was stunned by his plan....

Once upon a time, there was a rooster who lived on top of an old barn. Every morning, with the first ray of sunshine, he sang loudly and clearly, waking up all the animals on the farm. One day, a cunning fox who was prowling around the area heard the rooster's song and decided that he would make him his next meal. The fox approached the barn and, with a honeyed voice, called out to the rooster: —Good morning, dear friend rooster. I have heard that you are the best singer in the whole county. Could you come down so that I can listen to you better? Your voice is so wonderful that I want to enjoy it up close. The rooster, who had heard of the tricks of the foxes, responded with cunning: —Of course, fox. But why don't you come up here? From the top of the barn, my singing sounds even better. Plus, the view is beautiful, and you're sure to enjoy a good show. The fox, eager to catch the rooster, tried to climb up to the barn. But the roof was slippery and steep, and it ...

My girlfriend and I had been dating for over a year, and we decided to get married. My parents helped us in every way possible, my friends supported me. And my girlfriend was a dream. There was only one thing that bothered me a lot, and that was her best friend. She was smart and sexy, and sometimes she flirted with me, which upset me. One day, my girlfriend's friend talked to me on the phone and asked me to go to her house to help her with the guest list for the wedding. So I went over there. She was alone, and when I arrived, she whispered to me that, since I was going to marry her best friend, and taking into account that she had certain feelings and desires towards me, and that she could not hold back anymore, and that before I got married and committed my life to her best friend, she wanted to make love with me one last time. What could I say? I was completely surprised, and I couldn't say a word. So she said, "I'll go to the bedroom, and if you want to, com...

Paco is at Pepa's house watching a movie. The atmosphere starts to heat up and they decide to continue in the bedroom. Pepa is very passionate on top of Paco. But Paco's little friend doesn't want to collaborate. After a while, Paco says he needs to urinate and in the bathroom, he puts on a pornographic video to try to heat up his little friend. He finds a cream on top of the sink and rubs it on while he gets in the mood with the video. Five minutes later, he returns to the bedroom and performs like a champion. Five minutes later, Pepa is already asking for another round. And Paco, with his little friend asleep, decides to repeat the previous operation and returns to the bathroom. He comes out five minutes later, very passionate, and leaves Pepa with a huge smile on her face. Like this 7 times!! Paco, very surprised, because his little friend had never been so active, decides to go and find out what is in the cream that he had rubbed on. Fifteen minutes late...

This is an essay by Viktor Frankl, neurologist, psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor, and founder of the discipline we know today as Logotherapy. Who Makes You Suffer? Who hurts you? Who breaks your heart? Who damages you? Who steals your happiness or takes away your peace? Who controls your life?... Your parents? Your partner? An old love? Your mother-in-law? Your boss?... Guilty? You could make a whole list of suspects or guilty parties. It's probably the easiest thing to do. All you have to do is think a little and name all those people who haven't given you what you deserve, who have treated you badly, or who have simply left your life, leaving you with a deep pain that you still don't understand today. But do you know? You don't need to look for names. The answer is simpler than it seems, and that is that nobody makes you suffer, nobody breaks your heart, nobody damages you, or takes away your peace. Nobody has the ability to do so, unless you allow it, unles...

A few years after I was born, my father met a strange newcomer to our small town. From the beginning, my father was fascinated with that charming newcomer and then invited her to live with us. The stranger accepted and, surprisingly, my mother did too! As I grew up, in my young mind, she already had a very special place. The Lover My mother taught me what was good and what was bad and my father taught me to obey. But the stranger was stronger, she enchanted us for hours talking about adventures and mysteries. She always had answers to anything we wanted to know. She knew everything about the past, the present, and even could predict the future! The annoying thing was that we could not disagree with her. She always had the last word! She was the one who took my family to the first football game. She made us laugh and cry. The stranger almost never stopped talking, but my father loved her. My mother, who was even jealous, told us to be quiet so we could list...