A lion and a powerful bull had become close friends. Two jealous jackals, hungry for scraps, sowed distrust between them: each told a different lie to each side. The lion and bull, without ever speaking directly to each other, attacked — and the jackals feasted on the remains.
Distrust cultivated through intermediaries — gossip, misrepresentation, second-hand grievance — serves the intermediary, not the relationship. The remedy is always a direct conversation. The jackals only had power because the lion and bull chose narration over dialogue.
Where is a third party shaping how you perceive someone important to you? When did you last hear their actual words, not the interpretation?
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