Tasting Vinegar

I stumbled across one of my favorite allegories as I read "The Tao of Pooh", a relatively short and playful philosophical book by Benjamin Hoff. In the book we are presented an image: three men standing around a pot, each tasting what's inside, and each with an expression on their face. These men represent three major religions/philosophies of the period: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Scholars (likely Taoist scholars) have interpreted the following: Confucius wears a sour scowl, as the vinegar reveals the bitter and chaotic life humans live without rules to guide society and to raise morally upright children. The Buddha, tasting the vinegar, has a neutral expression: as life is suffering, peace can only be found by looking inward. Finally, Lao-Tzu tastes the vinegar and smiles: because it tastes bitter, just as it ought. In other words, life, with its suffering and chaos, can still be approached with enjoyment and gratitude when we are flexible and curious.

This guides my philosophy towards life, which in turn guides my clinical approach. We are here on this earth to understand ourselves, others, and the world, at a specific time, with the tools/environment we are given. We are all inherently worthy and capable of contributing something of value to the world. While at times incredibly gross and smelly, we can and must do the hard work of turning the manure into fertilizer in order to grow beautiful, authentic, unique things.