The Lamb and the Wolf

The Muslim polymath, Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna in the Western world,  is well known for his contributions in many different fields of endeavour - such as medicine, psychology, pharmacology, geology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, philosophy and more. His most important contribution to medical science is the Canon of Medicine, ‘Al Qanun Fi Al-Tibb’.

In one psychological experiment that Ibn Sina conducted, he placed two lambs in separate cages in the same area. He kept the parameters of age, weight, and nutrition exactly the same. The only variable in the experiment was that Lamb A could see the wolf in a third cage, whereas Lamb B couldn’t. Over the course of time, Lamb A, who was exposed to the wolf, developed changes in mood and behaviour. Lamb A became restless, developmentally stunted, and lost weight over time.  Eventually, Lamb A died. Lamb B, who wasn’t able to see the wolf at all, remained completely healthy and well.  

Interestingly enough, though the wolf was separated from Lamb A by the barrier of the cage, the psychological stress and anxiety of the mere presence of the wolf lead to physiological distress. Lamb A, by simply living next to a predator, caused Lamb A to die prematurely. Lamb B, who never saw the predator, lived a healthy and normal life. 

What does this tell us? It tells us that love, mercy, tranquility and safety are paramount to happy homes and happy relationships that build happy families. Emotional and psychological distress causes physiological distress and affects the quality of life and can even lead to early death.

Stress kills. Abuse kills. Choose your life partner wisely. From this one decision will come 90% of your life’s contentment or 90% of your life’s misery. Unfortunately, this also affects innocent children caught in the chaos.

Always ask yourself this question when seeking marriage: does this person make me feel safe, secure, and respected? Love comes later.