There was a story about a village where everyone was deemed wise and witty, yet there was no progress.
The king became enlightened and tried to speak to his people about their condition being of their own making. Each time he tried, they shut him down and continued pointing accusing fingers 👉 at neighboring villages or their gods. They accused everyone and everything except themselves.
👑 One day, in an attempt to prove his point, the king announced through his town crier that he was going to have a birthday party for his third wife. He urged everyone to bring a bottle of palm wine.
“Once you get to the king’s palace,” the town crier instructed, “there will be a big drum where everyone will empty his bottle.”
The king’s message was that this act would foster trust and unity 🤝 since they would all be drinking from the same pot.
The villagers were excited 🎉. Everyone looked forward to the feast day. One man, known as Uchegbu, thought to himself, “Since everyone is bringing palm wine, if I bring a bottle of water 💧 and add it to the drum, no one will find out.”
On the feast day, everyone came with their bottles and poured them into the drum as instructed.
But when it was time to drink… to everyone’s surprise, it was all water! 😳 Because everyone had thought the same thing as the so-called wise man Uchegbu.
The king told them, “It is now clear that when two wise men engage in a business transaction, they hardly make a profit.”
💡 Lesson for Today’s Relationships 💡
The story explains why many relationships fail today. Everyone wants to appear wise, but no one wants to compromise. It has become a game of “What’s in it for me?” 🤔 Everyone wants to take advantage of the next person.
This creates a chain reaction of hurt 💔, mistrust, and emotional blackmail. Feelings, love, marriage, and companionship have been monetized 💵.
If we all continue to look for what others can do for us instead of what we can do for them, we will always hope for wine 🍷 and merriment 🥳 but end up with water 💧.
✅ Become the person you want to meet.
✅ Ask yourself: “What do I actually have to offer?”
✅ Build yourself, acquire skills, preserve your dignity, and become valuable first to yourself. The right person will meet you halfway.
🚫 Desist from the “commodity mindset” where your worth is based only on money or looks. Instead, let your value be priceless.
⚠️ Always remember: if your worth is measured only in cash 💵 or physical qualities like six-packs 💪 or beauty 💃—things that can vanish in a day—then you need to pause and reflect.
Do not ask, “What will I get in a relationship?” ❌
Instead ask, “What can I give to make this journey worthwhile?” ✅
I remain your friend and brother,
Maazi Onuora Obodoechi ✍️
Pen it down. 