19.

The Grasshopper and The Ant

The Grasshopper and the Ant is a fable attributed to Aesop, providing
a moral lesson about hard work and preparation. A lazy grasshopper laughs at
the hardworking ants but when winter comes the grasshopper shivers
without food. Although this lesson is about rationality, an unepected pitfall
lurks behind the well!reasoned, industrious ants in the story.
"r. # is in his late $%&s. 'e came to my clinic for therapy after
leaving treatment with another therapist that lasted nearly a year without
any results. (ver since he had paid off his home mortgage and both of his
daughters got married, he has been eperiencing some type of depression.
This is what we call )unload depression.* (ssentially, "r. # had accomplished
his role as bread earner by constantly working hard throughout his life.
+pon fulfilling his responsibility, he simply fell into depression.
"r. + is a sophomore and feeling empty towards everything. 'e is
reacting against the harsh preparations he pursued for the college entrance
eamination. 'e is feeling what we call )burnt!out syndrome.* 'e feels that
he had missed too many other things while he fought in the )eamination
war.* "oreover, when he contemplates about his future, he anticipates the
need to study harder while in college to get the good ,ob at a prestigious
corporation, and then to persevere further to get promoted within the
corporate ladder. -ight now, everything seems hollow to him.
.oth "r. # and "r. + possess the overly serious character type that
is like an industrious ant and are not en,oying each moment of life. Those
people tend to be deluded by the thoughts of )upon hard work, there will be
happiness.* 'owever, the present and not the future is the most important
moment. /eeling ,oy for every action you are taking now is valuable. (nduring
hard work for future happiness is misguided thinking. 0hen you en,oy hard
work in the present moment, it is this attitude that produces the greatest
benefit in life. The outcome of one&s work is secondary to this true feeling
of well!being.