By Paulo Coelho
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Once when Confucius was travelling with his disciples, he heard tell of a very intelligent boy living in a particular village. Confucius went to see and talk to him and he jokingly asked:
‘How would you like to help me do away with all the irregularities and inequalities in the world?’
‘But why?’ asked the boy. ‘If we flattened the mountains, the birds would have no shelter. If we filled up the deep rivers and the sea, the fish would die. If the head of the village had as much authority as the madman, no one would know where they were. The world is vast enough to cope with differences.’
The disciples left feeling greatly impressed by the boy’s wisdom, and as they journeyed towards the next town, one of them commented that all children should be like that. Confucius said:
‘I’ve known many children who, instead of playing and doing the things appropriate to their age, were busy trying to understand the world. Not one of those precocious children did anything of any great significance later in life because they had never experienced the innocence and healthy irresponsibility of childhood.’
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