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Familiarity Breeds Contempt

This saying has its origins in one of Aesop’s fables:

“When first the Fox saw the Lion he was terribly frightened, and ran away and hid himself in the wood. Next time however he came near the King of Beasts he stopped at a safe distance and watched him pass by. The third time they came near one another the Fox went straight up to the Lion and passed the time of day with him, asking him how his family was, and when he should have the pleasure of seeing him again; then turning his tail, he parted from the Lion without much ceremony.”

More than likely the deeper spiritual meaning is as follows:

I cannot make you happy, I can only make you happier. Through the ages God-centered people have had one thing in common, they do not depend on others for their happiness. Their first love is their spiritual communion with God, its resultant joy, wisdom and inevitable contribution to humanity.

Therefore, I will take responsibility for my inner life. I will not make you my God. This burden is too much for you to bear and is more than I should expect from you. If I depend on you for my happiness, I will resent you when I am feeling unhappy. If we hold each other responsible for our unhappiness, our bond will wither and die.

If I depend on divine union for happiness, I will not expect you to make me happy. I will always be grateful to you for the times when you have increased my happiness. I will feel no resentment for anyone, especially those who mean the most to me. I will enjoy the mutual support of those like-minded people with whom I share a bond of love, admiration and respect.

By Paul Martin 11/30/2010
Familiarity Breeds Contempt www.MyPrayers.net

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