Paulo Coelho
Reader Alvaro Conegundes tells that during the ice age many animals died because of the cold. Seeing this situation, the porcupines decided to group together, so they wrapped up well and protected one another.
But they hurt one another with their thorns, and so then they decided to stay apart from one another.
They started to freeze to death again. So they had to make a choice: either they vanished from the face of the earth or they accepted their neighbor’s thorns.
They wisely decided to stay together again. They learned to live with the small wounds that a very close relationship could cause, because the most important thing was the warmth given by the other.
And in the end they survived.
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big smiles ;o) for a lovely story…
and very helpful for me right now
having moved to live in a new village…
first real permanent home since leaving my childhood village.
Amazing ………..!!
This reminds me of a term I heard once long ago.. “hedgehog’s dilemma.”
Taking the position of devils advocate because I sense an unvoiced challenge in the story as presented by Mr. Coelho
There is an old adage for everything.
Question: How do porcupines make love?
Answer: Very carefully.
Human beings are not like porcupines nor bears, nor penquins. They are not like snakes, and spiders, and birds. They have not evolved the coats to survive long winter nights in the cold, as animals have, they need fire.
They have evoloved the quills, the ability to wound one another. But what is not known, is how many wounds can they withstand, before their spirit dies, before they vanish from the face of the earth? How many wounds can a human being withstand before it loses the sparkle in their eyes. Each and every human being is different.
Two or more human beings huddled together can no more survive the repeated wounding of cold than can one, alone. Many people live alone. Many of them thrive, which isn’t to say that they aren’t lonely at times, but that they have come to feel comfortable with the self.
We don’t live in the ice age. Human beings need fire, and they find that in a multitude of ways. Fire both nurishes and destroys. Each human being decides which that will be in a day and age when they can. For many that day and age is now.
But when all is said and done, perhaps if there is something we can learn from the porcupine it is found in the adage above. Make love carefully.
I love the video-, Ninni Rebecka -its perfect -love and light Tania
Indeed!It is the only chance to survive! to stay together!
I have now in my small space and family the same exercice to live and mannage.I need my mother to stay and suport me with my two children in Vienna!Since seven years she is travelling to us for aproximativly six month in the year.The children love her like they love me ,like a mother ,and vice versa!The problem that we have is my grandfather !He is seventy-six, and till now was able to live alone with 2 times the week helping person.Since two month,he need help like a child,because he have old dementhy.So my mother took him to us ,and now we are 4 generationes together!!!I had problems 3 days ,I could not sleep!To bring him in a geriatric altersheim,will be the last thing that we will do.The problem is that he is very agressiv to my mother and verbally he is very injureing her.He cann not hear the loud voice of my children,he have to inject himself insulin two times the day ,because he had diabet and he is alcoholic too.So ,since he don`t became alcohol is like a biest!Wenn I was a child he took the place of my father and took care of me,even he was all the time in the worck,and grand mother was fisically responsabile for me ,he took the financial resposability!So he became a garconiere 50 m away from my apartment and we do all the best to live and help together!
I pray to God ,to have peace together!
Love
Mirela(the woman in elevator)
They can snore sometimes.
Very much like family. Are porcupines noisy? I would really like a quiet family lol
Kathleen xxoo
I love this.
wow u are amazing with ur examples!!!! how many times we debate during life what to choose – woundes,,,, or warmth??????
but in the end of day- one rather have the hot and nice and get to know that wounds is part of us,,, nothing is perfect,,,, and if we know how to forgive and find our own possition in between us,,, even a few wounds,,, r ok, we can go on we have on our balance much more on the other side!!!
lots of love to all
Orly
this is a nice short story. it awakens my insensitivity..
Two are better than one… for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow but woe to him that is alone when he falls for he has not another to help him up. If two lie together then they have heat but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4)
THORNS the shield, the resistance to love. love has not yet been accepted within oneself but when it’s so thorns will see love is smooth.
I have often wondered how a porcupine makes love in such a prickly patch, and am grateful that I am not a porcupine; negating the necessity of dying by the sword in recognition of the God given talent to humanity of thriving by the sword, sword being a metaphor for words. I have come to recognize, through the science of our day, that it is the will of God that I exist in a loving environment. To live anywhere else, is not the will of God.
Just a thought……….
I love this! It helps to put a few things into perspective today. Instead of focusing on the pain or the negative, I will focus my attention on the positive in every situation. There is always a silver lining somewhere in whatever the circumstance or situation.
I now see the beauty of a porcupine even in being cautious.
Dear Paulo,
Again you make me smile !
Thank you, I needed it very much today especialy !
Love
Luce
I love this story!!I view it as when one gets hurt by anothers action refraining and withdrawing from society may heal the surface wounds for a little while but we can not depend solely on our own existence …if we learn to make that hurt work for us instead of against us the benefit out ways in the end..we need each others pain to grow learn and celebrate.. the reward is the warmth that community can bring.
I guess sometimes I am a real porcupine! :-)
A cute story. It made me feel warm inside and made me smile. Cartoon porcupines!!
Hi, Sir Paulo. I believe your books bring humans on solid grounds – meaning having us reasessed our lives by being inspired by your masterpieces. I would say, your works were great and we will live by your wisdom as we die. I am almost speechless as I and my girlfriend are one of those BIG FUNS of yours. May we continue to follow our personal legends, the desires of the ONE GOD, and the reunion of two hearts. May you continue to inspire us that no matter what happens, you will still be the PAULO COELCHO that all humans look up to. You are, indeed, brilliant – in everything. You are almost complete and that we owe it to GOD. This has been a dream come true that you will be able to read my own thoughts and gratitude. Thank you so much and I will never forget you, please remember that. God bless Sir Paulo.
Dear Paulo,
Thank you so much for sharing this story of victory over defeat. It answers most everything under the sun. Still, we naturally apply its wisdom to what speaks most to us in the moment. From where I stand at present I realize that even if we try to bury the pain(the thorns) it still hurts, and it isn’t until we embrace it as part of our collective experience that we can transcend it. Our experience is meant to be shared – painful or not- with our human family and most especially those with whom we share common ground.
Much love,
Diane
Porcupine Tree Signify
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjuufF_ZnbE
I say,
We need each other, but sometimes we also need time apart so we can miss someone, and remember how important we are to each other.
A infant can die if they don´t get any love and are touched.
So LOVE is the most important thing on this earth.
We just have to have the courage to let people in behind our wall.
And if we not have learned this in a early age by mam and dad, it´s harder to learn it as a grown up.
Then we really need help from others to learn how we can have the courage to let someone else come close.
We have to be the chain of love, to learn each other to share more love in a way or another.
It´s more important than ever in this egoistic time that I hope we all can change.
Love Jessica
Oh.We need each other,still we need space.Some more than others.
Oink- Oink -
This is wonderful….I will think of porcupines in a whole new light. Bless you Paulo!
Once I read that the epidermis of human beings is made for .. caresses. Or we die from … marasmus [μαρασμός]
As we need air, water and foor we need…. LOVE. To love and be loved.
LOVE,
Thelma