This is a story that Charles F. Haanel included in his book The New Psychology.

The story is told of a student placing himself under the tutelage of a sage. The sage seemed indifferent and careless in his work of advancing the student. The student complained to the sage that he was not being taught.

The sage said, “Very well, young man. Follow me.”

He led him over the hills, through the valleys and fields, and out into a lake into the deep waters. The sage then plunged the student beneath the water and held him there until all other desires of the young man were concentrated into the one all-important desire, namely air. Gold, wealth, honor, riches, and fame were no longer important to him.

Finally, when nearly dead for want of breath, the sage lifted him up and said, “Young man, what did you want most when you were under the water?”

The young man replied, “Air, air, air.”

Then his teacher said, “When you want Wisdom as badly as you wanted air, you will get it.”

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You’ll enjoy these books because you want wisdom more than anything else.