One cold morning, the North Wind and the Sun were arguing about which of them was stronger. "I can knock down trees and push ships across the sea," boasted the Wind. "Nobody is as powerful as I am." The Sun only smiled. "Strength is not always about force," it said quietly.
Just then, a traveler came walking along the road, wrapped in a warm coat. "Let's have a contest," said the Sun. "Whoever makes that man take off his coat is the stronger one." The Wind agreed at once. It was sure it would win.
The Wind went first. It blew hard and cold, and leaves flew through the air. But the harder the Wind blew, the tighter the traveler held his coat around him. The Wind blew until it was exhausted, but the coat stayed on.
Then it was the Sun's turn. It came out from behind a cloud and shone gently on the road. The air grew warm and pleasant. The traveler opened the buttons of his coat. The Sun shone a little more, and soon the man took off his coat completely and sat down to rest in the shade of a tree.
The Wind had to admit that it had lost. Kindness and patience, the story tells us, often succeed where force and anger fail. Next time you want to change someone's mind, think about the Sun, not the Wind.