Now I am going to tell you about a scorpion. This scorpion wanted to cross a river, so he asked the frog to carry him. "No, " said the frog. "No, thank you. If I let you on my back, you may sting me and the sting of the scorpion is death. " "Now, where, " asked the scorpion, "is the logic of that? " (For scorpions always try to be logical.) "If I sting you, you will die and I will drown. " So the frog was convinced and allowed the scorpion on his back. But just in the middle of the river he felt a terrible pain and realised that, after all, the scorpion had stung him. "Logic! " cried the dying frog as he started under, bearing the scorpion down with him. "There is no logic in this! " "I know, " said the scorpion, "but I cannot help it - it is my nature. "

Orson Welles told this story to show the importance of understanding human nature. If the frog had known the scorpion's true nature he would still be alive.

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