There were two people drowning in a wide river, one with excellent vision and the other with nearsightedness. As they struggled and grew exhausted, the one with clear vision spotted a small boat drifting toward them, while the nearsighted person saw only a vague shape. Encouraged, both swam toward the object. However, the person with clear vision stopped mid-way because he realized it wasn't a boat, but a piece of rotten wood. The nearsighted person, unaware of the truth, continued to swim with all his might. By the time he reached the destination and realized it was merely a log, he was already close to the shore. The person with clear vision lost his life in the water, while the nearsighted person gained a new lease on life.
There were two cancer patients. One had keen hearing and overheard the doctor saying they only had three months to live. Overwhelmed by despair, he died before the three months were even up. The other patient had poor hearing and struggled to understand even direct conversation. Surprisingly, he not only lived past the three months but has continued to live healthily for two years now.
In the United States, two companies of similar size were led by two different CEOs, Robert and Steve. Robert was a calculating man who looked far into the future; he predicted a financial crisis twenty years later that would cause 30% of companies to collapse, including his own. To avoid debt, he decided to dissolve the company and save some funds for his employees and himself. Steve, on the other hand, seemed almost "clumsy" in his thinking. He believed the future was unpredictable and that no perfect plan could account for what has not yet arrived. He felt that as long as his company could survive one more day, he must keep it going. Remarkably, Steve's company survived the global financial crisis. In the end, the calculating man dissolved his business, while the "uncalculating" man saw his company flourish even more than before.
In life, many things are better left unknown; being less perceptive or less calculating can sometimes be an advantage. This is what people mean by "rare to be muddled." In truth, life is inherently imprecise, and much of our happiness and joy is hidden within this "muddledness." Once we become too acutely aware of everything, much of that joy and happiness may simply vanish.
