My journey in Steemit city recalls me one well known parable.
I don't know who is the authors because I saw it in sufi texts, also in Anthony de Mello books. I'm pretty sure a lot of cultures would claim their copyrights too. I prefer to think about this text as the Earth people wisdom.
What kind of people live in this city?
Once, one person was sitting near an oasis, at the entrance to one Middle Eastern city. A young man approached him and asked:
"I have never been here. What kind of people live in this city? "
The old man answered him with the question:
"What kind of people were in the city from which you left?"
"They were selfish and evil people. That's why I gladly left there »
"Here you will meet exactly the same people," answered the old man.
A little later, another person approached this place and asked the same question:
"I just arrived. Tell me, old man, what kind of people live in this city? "
The old man answered the same:
"Tell me, son, how people behaved in the city from where you came from?"
"Oh, they were kind, hospitable and noble souls. I have many friends left there, and it was not easy for me to part with them. "
"You will find the same people here," answered the old man.
The merchant, who was near to water his camels, heard both dialogues. And as soon as the second man walked away, he turned to the old man with reproach:
"How can give two completely different answers to the same question for two people? "
"My son, everyone keeps his world in his heart. Anyone who in the past has not found anything good in the city from which he came, won’t find anything good here too. On the contrary, the one who had friends in another city, would find loyal and devoted friends in our city too. The people around us become what we find in them. "
For my translation I took this text and photo