Using Fables to Overcome Foibles

Using Fables to Overcome Foibles

Fable – a short story conveying a moral (As in “the moral [or greater meaning] of the story is…”)

Foible – a shortcoming or weakness – (All of us have them)

Discussion: Did you ever consider how some of the common fables that we heard as kids can have deep messages that can be helpful in our lives today? Some of these lessons are even helpful when it comes to substance use issues. Consider some of the following fables below and the valuable lessons that they teach:

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

The Ugly Duckling

The Ant and the Grasshopper

The Mouse and the Lion

The Little Engine that Could

For each of the above fables, answer the following:

1. Can anyone in the group summarize the story just to make sure that everyone understands it?

2. What is the moral, or lesson of the story?

3. How can this lesson apply in people’s lives today?

4. Can anyone identify with this story? Have you had any similar experiences and life lessons learned like in this story?

Final Discussion

Who here can share a real life “fable” that had a valuable lesson? What was it and what did you learn?

(Two examples provided below – You can use them if you’d like or come up with your own)

Example – “I was doing well and staying away from drugs and my ex was in rehab. For year my ex was a bad influence on me and almost always triggered a relapse. Everyone told me to stay away from my ex when rehab was over, but I didn’t listen. I tried to just be “friends” with my ex but soon we were both getting high again and I regretted that decision”

Example – “I was doing well with my substance use when I inherited a decent amount of money from my grandmother who passed away. Everyone told me to play it safe and put the money away save it but I started spending it thinking I would only spend it a little at a time. I just kept spending and spending, promising myself that it would be the last time every time I made a withdrawal but, in the end, I blew through the whole chunk of money in a few months with almost nothing to show for it”

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