Table of Contents
Quick Answer
The story of the father, son and donkey reminds us to form our own judgment instead of blindly following other people's opinions.
Someone else's advice should be a reference at most. What suits another person may not suit you.
The same applies to money: you need the ability to choose and judge for yourself, or every new opinion may pull you in a different direction.
The Father, Son and Donkey Story and Its Financial Lesson
What does the story mean?
You may have heard the story of the father, son and donkey.
It is a simple but realistic story, and its lesson reflects the lives of many people today.
We should form our own judgment instead of blindly listening to others. Their advice should be a reference at most, because what suits them may not suit you.
There are also many traps along the financial journey. Without care, you may be taken advantage of. That is why the ability to choose and judge for yourself matters.
How did the father and son lose their own judgment?
Once, a father and son were taking a donkey into town to sell it.
Partway there, someone laughed at them: “How foolish! You have a donkey but do not ride it.” So the father asked his son to ride the donkey.
Soon, someone else said: “What an unfilial son, making his own father walk.” The father quickly asked his son to come down and climbed onto the donkey himself.
Before long, another person said: “What a heartless father! He does not care for his child at all.” The father immediately asked his son to climb onto the donkey too.
Then someone else said: “Two people riding one thin donkey—aren't you afraid of crushing it?”
The father and son hurried down, tied the donkey's four legs together and carried it on a pole.
While crossing a small bridge, they lost their balance. The donkey fell into the river and was swept away by the current.
A reminder for your financial journey
Hopefully, you will not become like this father and son on your financial journey.
This article was also reposted on Xiaohongshu. If you are interested, you can view it there.
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About the Author
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If you choose to arrange insurance, unit trusts or PRS through me and FA Advisory, I may receive commission from the relevant product provider. This commission is calculated separately from the financial-planning fee and does not offset or replace the planning fee. I will also explain the relevant arrangement and potential conflict of interest before implementation.
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Sources and Notes
This English article is a faithful translation of YFD's already-published Chinese post, 父子骑驴的故事 – 是很多现代人的真实写照！ (published 12 October 2022, updated 24 May 2024). The original article preserves a Xiaohongshu repost link and cites no other external sources.
Educational Purpose
This article is for general reference only and does not constitute personalised financial advice. Other people's opinions may be useful references, but your decision should still reflect your own circumstances.
