I’m All Right Jack

Or the law of trivial benefit

“a man was in great pain from a disease and was informed by the doctors that there was no other remedy than making an opening in his side and taking out his liver and washing it in certain medicated waters, as it was in a very bad state. While he was suffering under this operation, and the doctor held the liver in his hand, another man who was there demanded a piece of the liver for his cat” El Conde Lucanor, Chapter 29

I remembered the above extract from my Spanish Literature studies when I was writing a “fictional” work about a hole in the sky where mankind could conveniently dump their rubbish (submitted elsewhere to a new fiction publication edited by none other than Delta B. McKenzie — I highly recommend checking it out).

The point I remembered from the Conde Lucanor story (and the purpose of mine) was that people will go for whatever is most convenient for them, and will not weigh the potential harm to others. In other words people’s own trivial benefit is a far greater consideration than other people’s major disadvantage.

Since the Conde Lucanor stories were written in the 1300s, we can safely say that this tendency is firmly engrained in the human psyche.

I see it daily in actions such as throwing takeaway cups out of car windows. Once the cup is outside the car it is someone else’s problem.

But this isn’t meant to be another “aren’t people awful” post. When I came to re-read the Conde Lucanor story it had a slightly different message, which gave me pause for thought.

The Count is weighing up selling some ancestral lands which he holds dear, in order to settle some debts to people who could well afford to wait for payment.

It is his servant Patronio who tells the medic story, as a way of saying that the Count should hold fire, and not satisfy honour in an overscrupulous way which leaves him seriously disadvantaged.

This gave me a flashback to a few years ago, when to settle a fairly trivial tax bill in advance of receiving some cash I expected, I put the family house up for sale and had us trot around rented accommodation for the rest of the year until the accounts were square and we could re-buy.

None of which was really necessary. I could have explained the situation to the Revenue, and arranged deferred or partial payment, avoiding major upheaval to all of my brood and actually saving significant unnecessary expense.

Sometimes it doesn’t do to be overly obsessive about what we owe to others. I tend to bend over backwards to keep my accounts straight with everyone, at whatever cost to myself. I think I need to take a broader view occasionally.

Another trivial example. In my working life a deadline, however arbitrary, becomes as important to me as if an actual death were involved.

On countless occasions I have worked through the night to get deliverables on someone’s desk by the appointed time. Only to see them sit unopened while the person dealt with other things that were more important to them.

I need to weigh up the reality behind other people’s deadlines before accepting them with such alacrity.

On the other hand, I am the most obliging person you can imagine when someone comes to me with a hard luck story as to why they can’t pay me yet, or why their assignment won’t be finished on time.

I try always to follow the golden rule of “Do as you would be done by”. Since I would like that sort of consideration extended to me, I feel bound to be lenient in my dealings with others.

But the Conde Lucanor story reminded me that this should work both ways. Shouldn’t I look for the same indulgence from others to whom I owe something as I would undoubtedly extend to them if the boot were on the other foot.

My new motto, to avoid exaggerated and unthinking compliance in the future.

“Be done by as you would do”

Many thanks for reading!

More ancient Spanish studies floating back to the surface below:

#500Race