The Black Wolf
#1904
You probably know the story of the two wolves. It's a metaphor for the battle happening within every man. There are plenty of variations, but in the one I remember, the black wolf embodies all the negative aspects of a person. In contrast, the white one is the embodiment of positive qualities. The moral of the story is that the one you feed is the one that wins.
But is it? Is it truly that simple?
Since my early days of school, I've learned to be a good boy. I've learned to do the right thing, follow the rules, obey, behave correctly, and be smart. The white wolf kept growing and making me feel loved and appreciated. Yet, the black wolf was still there; he didn't want to leave or give up, so I found a place for him in my imagination. Each wolf was in his own realm, so they couldn't fight. A beautiful wall made my rationality and ability to make sense right in the middle to keep them apart. Every now and then, the restless black wolf tries to sneak through the cracks, but I usually keep him in his realm. It worked. Apparently.
Yet, I now wonder if I got it all wrong.
Because all this separation has done is make the black wolf angry and hungry, but he never went away. At the same time, the white wolf is well-fed but lonely and unfulfilled.
Maybe I got the story completely wrong. It's not about feeding one wolf. It is about feeding and loving both, so they can work and play together and get the best out of each other. And the best out of me. And maybe it's not too late to set free the black wolf and give him some love.
So, here's to my black wolf.
Have you ever realized you may have been starving one of your wolves? What might happen if you started feeding both sides of yourself - the light and the dark?
PS: while searching the story, I found this version in which the wise and old Cherokee tells his grandson, "If you feed them right, they both win."
Completely agree