Bahlool and Thinking or Not Thinking

Someone asked Bahlool, “Is it better to think, or not to think?” He replied, “By God, I am still puzzled about this. But honestly, sometimes thinking is good, and sometimes not thinking is good.” They asked, “How so?” Bahlool explained, “When a person is just a child, they are sent to school. At school, the teacher shouts at them, ‘Hey kid, think well! Use your brain properly, so you can understand what you hear.’ But then, when they grow up and become a young adult, the officials of Harun al-Rashid’s army capture him and force him to serve in the military. In the army, the commander yells at him, ‘You didn’t come here to think! Whatever you’re told, you must obey without thinking!’ Once his service is over, he gets married. This time, his wife says, ‘Hey man, think carefully! I want clothes, food, travel, and leisure. I’m not your servant! You should have thought about these things!’ When he tries to think about it again, Harun’s police arrest him and throw him into prison, because he is too tired to think! So, truly, I do not know whether thinking or not thinking is better.”

This story humorously critiques the conflicting pressures in life that prevent people from freely thinking for themselves, highlighting how societal roles and expectations can make thinking difficult or unnecessary at different stages in life.