We are in the middle of Homer’s “The Odyssey”.
Many of you will remember the bag of wind that Aeolus gave Odysseus, and the ONE rule gave him: Don’t open the sack!
Naturally, there’s always someone who has to ruin it for everyone……
In this one short scene, we get a dose of long term vs. short term gratification, greed, distrust, and an inability to listen to someone of substance.
Here’s the material I use with the class:
As we saw in the video yesterday there's always someone who ruins it for everyone.
After the great escape from the Cyclops' cave, the crew ruins it all and they are blown off course again. They were even able to see Ithaca! They were that close.
Review: The escape and the methods of deception. Short term vs. Long term gratification. The Pareto Priciple.
TODAY: Please answer the following after discussing the ridiculous decisionmaking of the crew (foreseen on pg. 1) regarding the bag of wind.
How does the simple minded, impulsive, and short-term gratification mindset ruin things for the whole crew? Why is there always someone who lacks discipline and can't wait? Explain this frustrating aspect of human nature. (30 points)
Here’s Odysseus getting the bag of wind:
View: The Marshmallow Test - Short term vs. long term gratification: