One day, the mighty wind argued with the warm sun about which of them was stronger, each certain that she alone held the greater power.

To settle the argument, they saw a man walking down the road wearing a heavy coat. The wind said, "Whoever can make this man take off his coat first shall be the stronger one."

The sun agreed, so the wind went first, blowing with all her might, trying to tear the coat off the man.

But the harder the wind blew, the tighter the man wrapped his coat around himself, afraid of the cold, until the wind grew tired and could not remove the coat at all.

Then it was the sun's turn. She began to shine with a gentle, warm light, and little by little the man grew hot, until he took off his coat himself, feeling perfectly comfortable.

And so the wind learned that gentleness and calm were far more powerful than force and violence in getting what one wants.

The Lesson: Gentleness is more powerful than force in influencing others.