The Moral Vision
Working on the Individual
~ 32 ~
WORKING ON THE INDIVIDUAL
A man was riding his bicycle one day when all of a
sudden his brake jammed. Luckily there was a cycle
repair-shop nearby, so he took his bike there to
have it fixed. Thinking that the mechanic would fix
the brake at the point where it was jammed, the
cyclist was surprised to see him tap away with a
small hammer at a completely different place.
Before he was able to express his surprise, however,
the mechanic handed the bike over. “That’s fixed it.
You can take it away now,” he said. And off the
cyclist rode, with his bike once again running
smoothly.
What was true of this bicycle is true also of human
society. When there is something wrong with
society people usually jump to the conclusion that
where the malaise lies, there also lies the cure. But
this is not case. Usually the root of the malaise lies
in a different place, far away from the symptoms.
Until the cause is removed, the malaise itself will
not go away.
