STONE SOUP

Stone Soup is a fable, an old folk tale, whose interpretation varies from culture to culture. Even though different parts of the world have different versions of the story, its moral lesson is universal. When more people come together, each bringing their contribution, there is a good chance that something great is going to come out. In design too, cooperation is the key to success, and sharing is many times, not giving, but rather receiving. Also you don’t need a lot to create something wonderful, you just need to be open minded, and willing to work with others and show a morally correct behavior.



In one of the versions of Stone Soup a hungry stranger comes into a village to ask people for food. Because nobody is willing to share their goods, the man start making stone soup. He puts water in the pot he was carrying with them, throws a stone in, and puts the boiling pot in the main square of the village. A curious villager walks by, wondering what the traveler is doing. When asked, he responds that he is making “Stone Soup”, a very delicious dish, but which still needs something in order to have more flavor. The villagers then jumps in with an ingredient that gets added to the soup. Following him, more and more people bring something for the soup. At the end, the initial “Stone Soup” becomes a wonderful dish, that the whole village share and enjoys together.

The villagers are a good example of the fact that sometimes it just takes one person to take the initiative, and the rest will follow. Stone Soup provides us with a lesson worth keeping in mind: when more people work together in cooperation, they are more likely to succeed than they are if working individually. Design is all about working together, helping each other out, and standing up for each other. Also sometimes is good to just throw an idea to the table, even if it is not brilliant. Other people might jump in and contribute with their ideas, and Stone Soup will be made once again.

Works Cited

McGovern,Ann. Stone Soup. Scholastic Inc., New York, NY. 1986.
Video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvUKvYWO8Ic
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