Considering the raging COVID-19 pandemic, job losses and all around negativity, why are the markets going up? Well, the goat is gone.
In a certain village, there is a very large and poor family who are living in a cramped room. One day, the head of the family goes to a wise old grandmother of the village and asks for some advice. “There are 12 of us in this tiny room,” he says. “It’s so dirty and cramped, everyone is always fighting, the children are crying, and there is no place for anyone to even lie down. What should I do?”
The wise old woman says, “Keep your goat also in the room.” The man says, “Are you mad? The goat will make things worse.”
“Just do it”, says the old woman. The man comes back a few days later and tells her that now, life is absolute hell. “The goat is smelly and there are droppings all over and it kicks everyone and bleats loudly all the time.” The old woman says “OK, fine, if it’s so bad then keep the goat outside”. Now the man comes back after a few days, looking pleased and happy. “It’s wonderful, he says. It’s just the 12 of us and we have the whole room to ourselves! No goat!”
The goat is gone