Many Chinese are familiar with this story: Once upon a time, a farmer and his son take their donkey to sell at a market. As they walk, they adjust their actions according to what passers-by say. No matter how tired they become, they don’t seem to be able to ignore the suggestions of the strangers and, as a result, they do not please anyone.

    The story tells us that one cannot achieve anything by trying to please everyone or by simply following others blindly.

    From my point of view, it is harmful to do things without using one’s own judgement. We are supposed to learn to make a choice based on our own situation and to predict the consequences that will follow. Just doing whatever people say, or just following the life choices of others will cause you to lose your soul. Take my friend Tom who always copies what others do. When people around him were all showing off their iphones, he decided to buy one, even though he was not interested in using it, and without really being interested in finding more about different cell phones.

    Another example is me. When I was a junior high student, I did one particularly stupid thing: I noticed that my friends often wore new basketball shoes, and they did not seem to mind paying a high price for famous brands. As their basketball teammate, I couldn’t help following their lead and asked my parents to buy a pair of expensive sneakers. This caused me to fight with my mother and father and, when I got the sneakers, I never had the chance to enjoy them, as I soon got bored and stopped playing basketball. It was really a waste of money which I very much regret.

    In conclusion, it’s better to listen to one’s heart than to become a frustrated person like the farmer and his son who walk with a donkey.