Thales’ mule, carrying a heavy load of salt, stumbled crossing a river and noticed the load got lighter as the salt dissolved in the water. Thereafter, Thales noticed the mule stumbled at all rivers — until he loaded it with wool.
Thales was, at least in tradition, the father of Western philosophy. The story suggests a simple thing — a fundamental thing — about human nature: When we consider the larger world, it’s usually with the motive of trying to make our lives easier.
But when we examine the world a bit more carefully, we find that the motives of others conflict with our own.
And so, in one short story, we go from a simple thing to an impossible thing: a paradox.
If you are wondering why some people love the literature of the Ancient Greeks, there it is. Maybe it takes a certain cast of mind.
The Greeks were geeky people who continue to capture our imagination. And yes, lightening our loads is all about life.
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