The Cherokee legend of the two wolves tells that in us there is a permanent battle between two forces, it is a conflict between our darker side (the black wolf) and the most illuminated and noble area (the white wolf). This duality between good and evil, between joy and pride, guilt, and humility, largely defines who we are.
Most of us have come across this story at some point. While there are doubts about the veracity of this legend related to the Cherokee people, it is worth saying that there are certain references included in the oral tradition in small social groups in the South Appalachia.
- Think about how to interact with enemy forces in you.
- How you do it will determine your life.
- Instead of killing one of the two wolves.
- Choose to guide them in the right direction.
Now, it is interesting to know that there is a slight argumentative variation and that it is precisely this last unknown nuance of some that makes this narrative more valuable, this unique lesson about personal growth that we will later discover.
The Cherokee were one of the villages that regrouped into the so-called “five civilized tribes. “Always known for their cultural richness, language and traditions, they are undoubtedly one of the indigenous references that have had the greatest impact on Western society. of their stories, ritual practices or mysticism have come to us.
Thus, in the midst of all this immense heritage, one of the most transcendent samples in the world of social media was the Cherokee legend of the two wolves, a story that is articulated as the lesson of wisdom from an old man to his grandson. explains that in it, as well as in the hearts of all men, every day there is a terrible battle between two wolves.
These two animals symbolize two opposing forces. One is bad, as Grandpa tells his grandson, is anger, envy, greed, pride, and even sadness, inferiority, and ego; the other strength is kindness, joy, love, hope, serenity, humility, compassion and, of course, peace.
When young Cherokee asks his grandfather which wolf wins the battle, in most of the reports we have, he responds with the following statement: he will win whatever you choose to feed, well, it must be said that there is another version, perhaps much more interesting.
In this other version, the old cherokee warrior tells his grandson that they must actually both win, because this battle is not a game of strength, but a balancing game Do we need to feed the two wolves because they are both necessary?will we be able to guide them both correctly?
There are times in our lives when we clearly feel that we are on a roller coaster, everything goes up and down, moments when we enjoy immeasurable peace and others when we hardly know why, we are embraced by adversity, sadness, anger and despair.
Life can be joyful or sad, beneficial or brutal, human beings weave their complex stories of love and hatred, serenity and loss, knowing that in fact there are always in us two opposing forces that we do not know very well to control and who fight fierce battles.
So, what the Cherokee legend of the two wolves explains is that it’s not about feeding one wolf and starving the other. The human being is the essence of Yin-yang, the duality where far from getting rid of a part, eliminating or ingesting it in a dark space, you have to take it into account, visualize it and control it to live in balance.
The old warrior tells his grandson that if he chooses to hang out only with the white wolf, the black man will hide in every corner to attack him when he sees him weak or on his guard down. In addition, the Cherokee legend of the two wolves indicates that this dark fur animal should not be underestimated as night, with eyes of fire and bestized fur.
Why, believe it or not, does the black wolf also have many qualities: determination, tenacity, courage, strategic thinking?There are virtues that the white wolf lacks, so it would be a matter of feeding them both to make the most of it. their nature, to assess their best version, to identify their needs and train them to live in harmony.
Therefore, let us not starve our fears, which it will always be better to recognize them, understand and transform them, or let our anger, disrespect or sadness starve, let us approach these inner realities without isolating them so that we can disintegrate them and know what they mean to us. They can give us valuable lessons to make every day a little better.
As we can see, the Cherokee legend of the two wolves offers us a valuable lesson on the balance of learning and emotional management, such teaching emphasizes that the intelligent exchange of strengths, of food between the two wolves, is a very important factor for our quality of life. .