This TED Talk features writer Heather Lanier, recorded live at TED at BCG 2017.

There's an ancient parable about a farmer who lost his horse, and neighbors came over to say,

oh, that's too bad. And the farmer said, good or bad, hard to say.

Days later, the horse returns and brings with it seven wild horses,

and neighbors come over to say, oh, that's so good.

And the farmer just shrugs and says, good or bad, hard to say.

The next day, the farmer's son rides one of the wild horses, is thrown off and

breaks his leg. And the neighbors say, oh, that's terrible luck. And the farmer says, good or bad, hard to say.

Eventually, officers come knocking on people's doors looking for men to draft for an army,

and they see the farmer's son and his leg, and they pass him by.

And neighbors say,

ooh, that's great luck, and the farmer says,

good or bad.

Hard to say.

I first heard this story 20 years ago,

and I have since applied it 100 times.

Didn't get the job I wanted? Good or bad? Hard to say.

Got the job I wanted? Good or bad? Hard to say.

To me, the story is not about looking on the bright side or waiting to see how things turn out.

It's about how eager we can be to label a situation,

to put concrete around it by judging it.

But reality is much more fluid,

...