我曾经听到父亲告诉一个朋友，他与母亲的关系使他想起了十二世纪波斯神秘诗人阿塔尔（Attar）的一个故事，讲述了一个人无所畏惧地骑着凶猛的狮子。当叙述者跟随这个勇敢的男人到他的家时，他震惊地看到自己被妻子畏缩了多么容易。一个不怕凶猛的野兽的男人怎么会被自己的妻子如此恐吓？他的主人回击：如果不是在家中发生的事情，我将永远无法骑狮子。
(I once heard my father tell a friend that his relationship with my mother reminded him of a story by Attar, the twelfth-century Persian mystic poet, about a man who fearlessly rode a ferocious lion. When the narrator followed this brave man to his home, he was shocked to see how easily he was cowed by his wife. How could a man who was not afraid of a fierce beast be so intimidated by his own wife? His host shot back: If it weren't for what happens at home I could never ride a lion.)