The Sage’s Shortcut
Someone asked a sage, "How do we persuade those idiots?"
The sage replied, "There's no need to persuade them, nor is there any point in trying. It is a waste of time. I usually stop explaining and just agree with them. I say, "Yes, you're right."
The other person objected, "How can that be? You're avoiding reality and not facing the problem!"
O sábio respondeu: "Sim, tens razão."The wise man responded, "Yes, you're right."
See what it says in English
Click the sentence again to see the Portuguese
The Plus version of this story
Alguém perguntou a um sábio: "Como é que persuadimos esses idiotas?"
O sábio respondeu: "Não há necessidade de os persuadir, nem vale a pena tentar. É uma perda de tempo. Normalmente, deixo de explicar e simplesmente concordo com eles. Digo: “Sim, tens razão.”
A outra pessoa contestou: "Como é que isso é possível? Está a evitar a realidade e não está a enfrentar o problema!"
O sábio respondeu: "Sim, tens razão."
Someone asked a sage, "How do we persuade those idiots?"
The sage replied, "There's no need to persuade them, nor is there any point in trying. It is a waste of time. I usually stop explaining and just agree with them. I say, “Yes, you're right.”
The other person objected, "How can that be? You're avoiding reality and not facing the problem!"
The wise man responded, “Yes, you're right.”
There is a Plus version of this story
The same story, taken further, for DailyNata Plus members. This one works on idioms and expressions.
- The whole story in Portuguese, and its English
- The words in it, explained, with examples
- 2 more recordings
- 2 interactive exercises
Written for level A2–B1. Every lesson has its own, anywhere from A1 to B2.
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