The Fish and the Tank

A group of fish was living in an aquarium (the tank). They had lived there all their lives. Their parents and their parents’ parents had been born there as well.
This group of fish was living in harmony, based on a code of ethics and a certain worldview.  But as the tank started to deteriorate, the fish realized that things could not go on the way they had been going before. Something had to change.
But what should change? The fish could not figure out the solution to their problems. They did not know what they did not know. After all, they had lived their entire life in the tank; so no new code or world view could enter their world that was limited to the tank.
Finally, one day, a young fish decided that he had to be the one to bring in the new code and world view. He thought that one reason he could not think of the new “stuff” was his ultimate limitations by the tank. So he decided to jump out of the tank in order to be able to view the tank from the outside world. In so doing, perhaps he could see what was wrong with the tank and a new theory would dawn on him.
He tried and tried to jump out of the tank. It was hard, but every time he could jump higher and higher. All the others in the group were discouraging him since everyone was more or less content with their situation. Finally, one day, he jumped so high out of the tank that he reached the other side. On the way out he could see the “inside” from the “outside.”
It was fascinating.
When he reached the other side, he died. He had jumped out of the water…
Some time passed in the tank. The group of fish started to forget about the young fish that vanished, the one who wanted to bring in the new theory they needed so much. But there was another young fish who could not forget his best friend. Every day, he would go near the surface of the water and would look for any sign of his friend –nothing.
As he waited on the surface of the water, little by little, he started breathing from outside air too… it was something new that he had never experienced. After some time, the young fish decided to follow his friend’s path and jump to the other side. The life in the tank was not satisfying for him and the other fish were bothering him. They were thinking they knew the nature of their problems and were content with little fishy stuff. But for this young fish what others were did not make sense at all.
He thought to himself, “Memory is a stranger… history is for fools… these guys think they know, but in fact they don’t, they are just happy with this little fishy stuff.” I need to jump out and find the ultimate solution.”
So he started to jump. Little by little he could jump higher and higher until one day he jumped out of the tank and reached the other side!
From the outside world he could see inside the tank and the ultimate limitations of the tank.
It was fascinating.
He sat there and started to think, not noticing any change as he had already learned how to breathe the air. After some time, he found the solution! He thought to himself, “I should go back to the tank now. I know what I know and I know what I don’t know, and I can find the answers now!”
He started jumping up until one day he jumped into the tank.
Suddenly he noticed that he could not breathe in the water…As he was struggling to breathe he realized that he was not a fish anymore…
He died in the tank!

Copyright Stefano Franzoglio