Concerning this a man once said:Why such reluctance? If you only followed the parablesyou yourselves would become parables and with that rid of all your daily cares.Another said: I bet that is also a parable.The first said: You have won.The second said: But unfortunately only in parable.The first said: No, in reality; in parable you have lost.
In this excerpt, a dialogue unfolds between two men discussing the value of parables. One man expresses frustration over reluctance to embrace the wisdom contained in stories, suggesting that by following these parables, individuals could transcend their daily worries and transform into parables themselves. This notion highlights the transformative power of stories and the insights they offer.
The second man counters by implying that the first's assertion is merely another parable, to which the first agrees, yet he emphasizes a distinction between reality and parable. He suggests that in the practical sense, the second man has not triumphed, as navigating through life often means confronting real concerns rather than getting lost in allegorical tales. This exchange reflects Kafka's exploration of the intersection between abstract thought and the tangible challenges of existence.