The Man Who Loses His Horses

“A man loses his horses, and yet who is to say whether it is benefit or bane?” It's a common Chinese proverb, and it refers to a fable contained in Huai Nan Zi, a Han Dynasty book of Daoist thought written by a prince of the imperial family and his group of friends. The fable has had a long and varied life. It has been quoted, or misquoted, in texts and media from the book "The Biggest Bluff" by Maria Konnikova to the film "Charlie Wilson's War" written by Aaron Sorkin. It seems to me ...