Don't Be the Rooster

An updated version of a motivational parable.

Suppose you want an all-American breakfast of bacon and eggs. You have a strenuous day of work ahead, you need all the animal protein you can get. There are three animals on your farm to make your breakfast - a chicken, a pig, and a rooster.

The chicken lays her eggs for you, and announces her achievement with a loud “cluck.” She then moves on with whatever it is she does with her day. You grab the eggs, but the chicken doesn’t care what you will do with them.

The chicken is involved.

The pig provides the bacon, but at a high cost. She needs to be slaughtered, butchered, and cured to make that delicious breakfast meat. The pig’s entire existence is to create that bacon.

The pig is committed.

But what of that rooster? He struts around the farm, crowing loudly with his chest high. He walks with an air of importance, thinking that he is keeping a watchful eye on the farm. But really all he does is ruin the eggs, scare the pig, and shit on the floor.

The rooster is an asshole.

So be the pig, knowing that your dedication to making bacon may consume you. Be the chicken, knowing that the best chickens lay their eggs consistently and reliably.

But please, don’t be the rooster.