the other side

It is equally understandable that we become locked in to our side of the argument or our definition of justice. Others will have their own understanding of matters – one that will be different to our own (by definition). But, in addition, they are also under pressures of their own – and we tend to forget this. There is a story that has been attributed to a couple of female leaders (most commonly the Saracen Princess Carcas or the Countess of Carcassonne).

Her castle was under siege. With the onset of the second winter of the siege, her food supplies were nearly gone. The officer in charge of provisions for the castle approached her to ask for her permission to slaughter their last pig and distribute their last sack of grain – so that they might hold out a little longer against the besiegers.

To his astonishment, instead she ordered him to overfeed the animal with the grain; to then slaughter it – and to throw the carcass from the highest parapet of the castle to splatter at the feet of the besieging army.

This order was duly carried out. The well-fed cadaver was delivered to the commander of the besieging army. On seeing it, he addressed his officers: “We’ve been here 18 months. Winter is coming on. Our troops have become restless and are bored. She taunts us with this carcass – she obviously has enough food to feed even the animals. Let’s go home now”.

The lesson is clear: The solution chosen was not some form of reverse psychology or whatever. The princess was facing a challenging winter – but so, also she realised, were the besieging troops. Her action focussed on the other side’s position and not her own.

Essentially, she was asking the real question: Not how she and her subjects might survive the punishing conditions a little longer, but – how she might get rid of those responsible for their situation?