I feel the reasons why one gets frustrated can best be explained with Aesop’s fables and other examples some of which I have heard from friends. Therefore, let me refer to them in brief:
We must never aim or ape at things for which we are not made, for we will end up in failure. A lap-dog was a great favourite of its master. The ass in the stable was jealous of the lap-dog so one day it galloped into his master’s house, jumping and kicking up his heels imitating the lap-dog. The servant perceiving the danger drove out the ass to his stable beating him nearly to death. The ass lamented: “Why did I not be happy with my lot without imitating the lap-dog. Really, imitation is death; originality is power.”
Impatient expectations lead to dissatisfaction in our life as seen in a person who planted a breadfruit tree and watered it with a cartload of manure as he was eager to see its immediate result. But alas, it withered away. We should not ignore the natural process with impatience.
Ignorance and laziness lead to frustrations. When we expect too much of comfort and rest with no efforts at all or too little struggle, we find ourselves on the way to frustrating annoyance like the rich farmer’s lazy son. When the rich farmer died the responsibility of the farm fell on the son. His neighbour told the son that he would work in the farm and share the harvest with him; and asked the son if he wanted the top half or the bottom half of the crop.
The ignorant son chose the top half. When the crop was harvested the son took his top half of the share — the top parts of potatoes, onions and carrots. The son saw that he had been tricked.
So, he told the neighbour angrily that next time he would take the bottom of the plants.
When the next crop was harvested the son took the bottom part of his share — the bottom roots of Cabbages and tomatoes.
The son was steaming mad as he had been tricked again.
He then told the neighbour that next time he wanted both the top and bottom parts.
When the crop was harvested once again the son took the top and the bottom part of his share — the top leaves and bottom roots of corn and sugarcane.
The son had been tricked one more time.
But by now the son had learnt his lesson that, “No pains no gains. Work has its own reward. Laziness never pays.”
One solution for frustration is to talk with supportive people about it; one who will listen without criticising or condemning. Another answer to frustration is cheerfulness like the frustrated fox with the sour grapes attitude. When he could not get the luscious grapes, he said to himself, “Who wants the sour grapes after all,” and went away. In life we come across people with this sour grapes attitude. They console themselves saying that the things they actually wanted are not worth having after all. The best way out for frustration is to leave things in the hands of God after one has done all in one’s power.
