J Walking

J Walking

Cherokee Wisdom

posted by J-Walking | 1:49pm Tuesday March 20, 2007

“Cherokee Wisdom”

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two “wolves” inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”



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Comments read comments(13)
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Thinker

posted March 20, 2007 at 9:38 pm


I’ve used this story in retreats for years and find myself always wondering which I feed. I know that we all want to feed goodness, but we live in a culture where it seems righteous to feed the other. continually assessing our “diet” is hard work.



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Donny

posted March 21, 2007 at 5:58 am


Hmmm. I think it is so easy to see which wolf is being fed, by what behaviors and actions result. That is why I have the negative view of the Left that I do. Another good offering David.



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Donny

posted March 21, 2007 at 1:35 pm


David, Will you pass it along to the owners and your fellow workers at Beliefnet to stop with all the Christia-bashing polls on the home page? Can they attack another religion and people for a change.What would really help the world is if they would put the efforts into causing cognitive dissonance in those that follow Islam. Is Beliefnet.com just another infidels.org spinoff site? Enough already of the questioning of Christian truth for a change.



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matt

posted March 21, 2007 at 3:39 pm


How is the current poll bashing Christians? It appears to me they are trying to find out what their readership thinks on the matter.



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Tim McGhee

posted March 21, 2007 at 5:19 pm


“I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” –The Apostle Paul, Romans 7:18



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Doug

posted March 21, 2007 at 5:24 pm


Give me chastity and continence but not yet- Augustine of Hippo



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Anonymous

posted March 22, 2007 at 2:52 pm


Well, the wolf is sure being fed, no question about that. And, obesity isn’t a pleasant experience or way of life. There’s only one way and I’ve hardly witnessed this at all amongst the interested masses. If I could comment to the parable above I would suggest that most people are utterly blind to at least three of both the evil and good characteristics.



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Donny

posted March 22, 2007 at 4:02 pm


Matt, I bunch of drunk dorm dwellers (skeptics) could flood these “polls” with ridiculaous results. Beliefnet knows this.You cannot be a Christian and believe that the historicity of the New Testament is false. “If Christ be not raised, our faith is in vain.” Notice that Paul connected facts with “faith.” The word “trust” being a better word than “faith.”Faith without facts is Liberal/Progressive theology. Not something the Christian Chruch has anything to do with it.



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matt

posted March 22, 2007 at 5:36 pm


Donny,Have you studied the history of the church and its relationship to philosophy? if you haven’t, and Im not suggesting you haven’t, it might prove an interesting study for you.



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Casey

posted March 23, 2007 at 1:01 am


I nearly choked upon reading this entry – just earlier this morning, riding the bus on my way to class, I was contemplating the version of it I’d heard – a wise old Chinese elder talking about dragons, with the same impact line. Worth thinking about, certainly. Thanks.



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Arkinsaw

posted March 24, 2007 at 2:38 am


Donny say: “I think it is so easy to see which wolf is being fed, by what behaviors and actions result. That is why I have the negative view of the Left that I do.” Wow! Which wolf are you feeding?



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Boone

posted March 18, 2008 at 9:55 am


The thing is that while the “good wolf” or the “bad wolf” may win, our natures will still guarantee that in the end, the “bad wolf” will win-out. Therein is our need for a Savior.



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BillinDetroit

posted September 29, 2008 at 2:31 pm


Boone … Think your post through. The presence of the Savior means that the good wolf CAN, in the end, win. We are not automatons … we have been given free will from birth. By ourselves, we may not be able to starve that ‘bad wolf’ to death, but we can certainly weaken him all the while feeding the ‘good wolf’ living water and spiritual meat. We weren’t meant to fight this fight alone … but neither were we meant to abandon the field of conflict. That’s why we have been given spiritual armor. Use it. Fight the good fight. Rely on the power from above. As a culture, good may not triumph … but as individuals we can walk the straight path.



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