The Cobbler Turned Doctor

The cobbler turned doctor is an Aesop's fable, published in the mid- to late 6th century BCE.

Who is a cobbler? What does a cobbler do?  A cobbler is the person who repairs shoes.  Do you have any cobblers in your neighborhood? What do you do when your shoes need mending?  I live in a neighborhood with one, and, unlike the cobbler in this tale, he really is very good at his trade.

I wonder what would happen if one day he decided to give up this lucrative profession, to go into a seemingly more prestigious one.  First of all, we will have lost someone who knows his trade and thrives on it.  Second, what is his guarantee that this new career will flourish?  He is best placed where he is, and he knows it!

Would you give up something tried and true to try your hand at being a hoax?  The King, in this story expressed it best - and I paraphrase - "If I cannot trust you with my left shoe, why would I trust you with my life?"

We could go further into this tale and talk about the palliative effects of a placebo, or mind over matter, but that's a story for another day.  

The moral of the story is this : Truth will out.