The fox and the grapes
The fox and the grapes (Greek: Αλώπηξ καὶ βότρυς) is a fable that is ascribed to the Greek fable poet Aesop , Phaedrus composed a Latin version ( De vulpe et uva , Phaedrus, fables 4, 3) in meter of the iambic senar .
Original text
De vulpe et uva
Fame coacta vulpes alta in vinea
Uvam appetebat summis saliens viribus;
Quam tangere ut non potuit, discedens ait:
“Nondum matura est; nolo acerbam sumere. ”
Qui, facere quae non possunt, verbis elevant,
adscribere hoc debebunt exemplum sibi.
content
In this fable, a fox shows himself contemptuously over the grapes that he cannot reach:
- “ The fox clenched his teeth, wrinkled his nose and haughty said:“ They are not ripe enough for me yet, I don't like sour grapes. ”He stalked back into the forest with his head held high. "
The fable caricatures the dishonest handling of defeat: In order not to have to admit that he cannot reach the grapes, the fox claims that he does not want to reach them at all.
The moral of the story is: “Anyone who uses words to mock what they cannot achieve should write this example behind their ears. [Qui, facere quae non possunt, verbis elevant, adscribere hoc debebunt exemplum sibi.]. "
In psychology, such glossing over a failure is also referred to as rationalization or cognitive dissonance reduction. The attempt is made to retrospectively give a conflicting situation a rational meaning.
poem
The German poet and philosopher Karl Wilhelm Ramler wrote the following poem in his Fabellese :
A fox, which was going after its prey,
found a vine that
was hanging from a high wall full of heavy grapes .
They seemed delicious to him,
difficult to pick from alone.
He crept around looking for the nearest entrance.
For free! No jump was in sight.
Not to shame himself in front of the group of birds
sitting in the trees, he turns around and speaks
, scornfully pulling his face:
What should I try to do?
They are bitter and unsuitable.
Reception: The sour grape effect
Web links
- The Fox and the Grapes (English)
- The Fox and the Grapes (English)