Welcome back to wisdom from the Golestan of Saadi.

This tale is a sharp, humorous piece of social commentary illustrating the danger of misplaced trust and the importance of seeking specialized expertise.

Saadi writes:

A certain man suffered from a painful eye infection. Instead of seeking a physician, he went to a veterinarian and asked him for a cure.

The vet, applying the same ointment he used for the eyes of livestock, put the substance into the man’s eye, and the man was immediately blinded.

A complaint was brought before the judge. The judge ruled: “There is no fine or penalty against the veterinarian. If this man were not an ass, he would not have gone to a horse doctor.”

Reflection on this Hekayat:

The purpose of this anecdote is to drive home the point that you bear the consequence of your own poor judgment. The man who entrusts an important task to someone untrained or incompetent will not only suffer regret but will also be considered a fool by the wise. As Saadi concludes, a sensible person does not assign serious work to the underskilled. Just as you wouldn't send a mat-weaver to work with silk, you must choose the right expert for the right job, or the failure is ultimately yours.