the horse at the water will drink at some point
2007-08-17 00:55:41 · 19 answers · asked by beck 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
the horse can only drink at the water
2007-08-17 04:32:03 · update #1
it's a good guide, but the metaphor is not foolproof for example all forms of indoctrination disprove this metaphor.
2007-08-17 01:13:32 · answer #1 · answered by . 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You got a point there Beck ...I've always thought that if you kept the animal without water long enough then you can make it drink the water! But that is a cruelty that should not be invoked.
I understand what they are saying when they tell us you cannot make the animal drink the water, even if you lead it to the creek.
And it is true, the horse will not drink if it doesn't want to. It will drink when it wants to, whether you stand all day with it at the creek or make it wait in the barn for it's water.
The analogy is this. You can send your kid to university but if the kid doesn't want to learn? Well ....he isn't going to drink from the fountain of knowledge is he?
You can set your daughter up in business but if the girl doesn't want to do it then you can bet the business will fail.
You can't make people do what they do not want to do!
2007-08-17 03:45:59 · answer #2 · answered by the old dog 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree totally with Michael's answer, but I'll add to it. This is a way of saying that you can give someone the opportunity for something good, but ultimately it is their own choice whether or not they will accept what is offered. As a teacher I find this very relevant. We constantly 'lead' out students to opportunities to increase and enrich their knowledge, but if they insist upon closing their minds and wasting their time, we cannot force them to learn. It has to be their own decision. There are of course many other ways that this analogy applies to situations in life. And of course, those that do take the opportunities do so because they have made a decision to, not because they have been forced.
2007-08-17 02:52:21 · answer #3 · answered by J and M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can lead a horse to water but only if you've got a horse....
2016-03-17 01:15:34 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you lead the horse to water when it wants then it will drink, not when it pleases you.
2007-08-17 02:19:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "horse" and "drinking the water" are totally symbolic.
The expression comes from the fact that you can present something to someone all you want, but you can't make them embrace it, they have to do that all on their own.
2007-08-17 01:38:36 · answer #6 · answered by Goyo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes. you can offer other people information, knowledge and insight, but that person will only integrate the information if they are in a place in their life where they want to change.
the web has given us so many opportunities to gather information. what we do with that information is totally up to us. you can't force someone to want to change their life, desire for change is an internal impetus.
ex. you can give a drug addict or alcoholic all kinds of information about why these things are self destructive, how they are harming themselves and their loved ones, etc, but until they are "thirsty" for change, they will not drink of that knowledge nor implement that knowledge for change. freewill
2007-08-18 05:31:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is what political power is all about.... the politician would know the art and science of how to make the horse himself want to drink!!
2007-08-17 01:23:35 · answer #8 · answered by small 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This saying is true for any animal. If they're not thirsty, they won't drink. Plain and simple
2007-08-17 01:03:48 · answer #9 · answered by Memere RN/BA 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes but then you're not "making" the horse drink, he's drinking because he wants to.
2007-08-17 01:03:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋