Question

The Fox and the Grapes

A hung, "Let who will take ry fox xame into the vineyard where there hung delicious clusters of ripe Grapes; his mouth watered to be at them; but they were nailed up to a trellis so high, that with all his springing and leaping he could not reach a single bunch. At last growing tired and disappointed, "Let who will take them!" says he, they are but green and sour; so I'll e'en let them alone."

Question: In your words explain the meaning of the fable. Is the "sour grapes" explanation a satisfactory excuse, or is it a rationalization for failure?

Answer 1

The sour grape fable can be taken both as a satisfactory excuse and a rationalization for failure. However, this wholly depends on the context of the individual. A person should take into consideration the resources that are within him/her and then make the decision. For instance, when there is an unrealistic goal, having a satisfactory excuse will help the person move passed that goal and focus on some unattainable goal. It will be satisfactory when the person knows that the resources available will not help him/her achieve it. Example: A person who has no legs have a goal of walking. This is however unrealistic therefore, he can have a satisfactory excuse saying that walking takes longer time and is very tiring. Therefore it is better to be in the wheelchair. On the other hand, when the person is lazy and does not want to achieve a goal and give excuse than that is a rationalization for failure. Example, a person does not want to study therefore he thinks that only gifted people can pass the particular exam.