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There was a king whose decisions were talked about in distant kingdoms. It was said that whatever decision he made, time itself would bear witness to it. He would neither reverse any decision nor regret any decision. His wisdom and insight had become an example.

Nearby was another kingdom where the king was no less powerful than anyone, but his decisions were often reversed. Orders were issued for reform, but the result was loss, and despite good intentions, rebellion would arise. He could not understand the reason for this confusion.

One day he called his son, the prince, and said that he was going to the court of another king, to see, learn and understand what process was it that made his decisions correct, while here every time a mistake was made. The prince set off in compliance with the order.

When he reached the court of the famous king, the scene was the opposite of his expectations. The court was decorated, but there was no silence there. Ministers were openly giving their opinions, advisors were disagreeing, even a farmer was presenting his point of view. The king’s decisions were being openly criticized.

The prince was shocked to see all this. He thought to himself that if this had happened in his father’s council, perhaps half the people would not have survived. Finally, he could not stop himself and said that it was an insult for people to criticize openly and the king to remain silent.

The king smiled and replied gently that if his father had also adopted the same method, he himself would not be standing in his court today. Then he explained that the only difference was that his father listened to criticism after the decision, while he listened to criticism before the decision. He tolerated disagreement for some time and in return received long-term praise.

He added that no person or decision is perfect, but when a person surrounds himself with people who have the courage to disagree, the flaws are revealed in time and can be corrected. Thus, a habit of listening to criticism becomes a great strength, while the slightest flaw of not tolerating criticism distances a person from reality.

The king also made it clear that he does not accept every criticism, but distinguishes between constructive and unnecessary. He puts the decision before the people, lets everyone, rich and poor, speak, then weighs all opinions like a judge. The closer he is to justice and truth, the more his decision proves to be correct.

Finally, he said that the closer a person is to reality, the closer he is to success, and a ruler who cannot tolerate reality will never reach reality. The prince stood with his head bowed. He had understood that the real power is not in the sword, but in listening.

When he returned, he took with him not just a lesson but the secret of governance: Be it government or life, the decision is strong that is made after consultation, disagreement and constructive criticism. Listening to criticism is not weakness but the basis of correct decisions.