Are you a young bull or an old bull?

“Softly softly, catchee monkey” is an idiom thought to have its origins in the early 20th century.  The saying  is a shorthand way of advocating  patient, careful and stealthy strategic planning. There’s a popular parable which illustrates the importance of planning and patience called “The Story of Two Bulls“.

There are two bulls walking side by side.  One is a young bull, full of energy and enthusiasm, while the other bull is older and slower.  Suddenly, the two bulls catch sight of a herd of cows, grazing on a nearby hill.  The young bull catches the scent of the herd and announces, “I’m going to run over there and have my way with one of those cows on the hill.”

The older bull demonstrates his wisdom by replying, “You do that.  I’m going to walk over to that hill and have my way with all of those cows.”

If the spirit behind the phrase “softly softly, catchee monkey”  were to be applied to this parable -  the old bull would have held his tongue while the young bull charged off, expending most of his energy simply getting to the herd of of waiting cows.  The old bull would have then had his way with the rest of the herd while the young bull recuperated from his journey and sole conquest.

Young bulls charge ahead, full of energy.  The biggest thing about young bulls is they aren’t trying to conserve energy.  They have plenty of energy to spare – so conservation is not a priority.  Meanwhile, old bulls recognize that their energy is limited – and they focus upon making the most of the energy they have.  That requires serious strategic planning.

In the story of the two bulls, once the old bull shares his wisdom with the young bull, he creates a formidable competitor when they reach the herd of cows. “Softly softly, catchee monkey”  – by keeping his strategy under wraps – the old bull gains a considerable advantage.

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