The reward for conformity is that everybody likes you except yourself

A monk and his followers live near a river.  Each morning they go down to the river.  One morning, a scorpion falls into the river.  The monk reaches out and picks up the scorpion placing him on dry land. His hand is stung painfully.

The next day, the monk and his followers go down to the river.  A scorpion falls into the water.  The monk reaches out and saves the scorpion, again receiving a painful sting.  His followers ask if he is ok.

A third day, the monk and his followers go down to the river.  A scorpion falls into the water.  The monk reaches out to save the scorpion but his followers hold him back.  “Have you not seen what will happen?”  The monk asks to be released, reaches out, saves the scorpion and is again stung painfully.

The followers ask the monk “What are you doing?”

The monk replies “It is in the nature of the scorpion to sting.  It is in my nature to help those that I can help. If I do not follow my nature I will not be fulfilled”.

“The reward for conformity is that everybody likes you except yourself” Rita Mae Brown