The Analysis of The Book "Kalila & Dimna"

“If you risk nothing you achieve nothing, for fortune favors the bold.” This is a quote that really intrigued me in the book Kalila and Dimna. I can see how relevant this quote is in everyday life, as boldness allows for opportunity. Dimna stated this phrase when speaking to Kalila at the beginning of the book, telling him that he was going to approach the king. Dimna wanted to be bold to the king to become recognized, and to hopefully gain favor as well. Being bold can help to become recognized, to open the door to new opportunities, and to allow for exponential personal growth.

Dimna is a perfect example of the notion that boldness can help someone become recognized. Dimna shows this through many chapters in the book, but I think the most important portrayal of his boldness was in his initial approach to the lion. Dimna is only a jackal, but he takes the risk of presenting himself to the king in hopes of becoming one of the kings servants. The king accepted Dimnas flattering words, and Dimna was able to achieve what he had desired. Through this example we can see that if we are bold and learn to take risks, then we may have the opportunity to be more easily recognized by others.

Being bold can also open the door to new opportunities. After Dimna was bold, he then had opportunities open up that were only possible through his actions. For example, Dimna then had the opportunity to become close to the king, even so much to be able to influence him with his advice. I find it interesting that one bold move from Dimna opens opportunities for him to be bold more often. Dimna is bold in meeting the king which leads to opportunities for him to be able to persuade the king. These opportunites include but aren’t limited t- Dimna’s persuasion of the king to meet the “Duke of Beef,” and to eventually kill the Duke after becoming close to him. Dimna continues to increase his bold actions and he finds that doing so increases the probability of him accomplishing his goals. Through this we can see that taking one action of boldness can help us achieve our goals, but multiple acts can lead to continued success.

Taking risks and being bold can also lead to personal growth, whether we have good or bad intentions. Dimna’s intentions where poor at the end of the book, but he grew exponentially by learning to accomplish what he desired. Dimna was able to become more comfortable with following through on larger bold moves, after making small steps in the beginning. One great example of this is located at the end of the book when Dimna takes a giant risk in tricking the lion and the duke. This feat was much riskier than anything he had ever done before, but he felt confident in his abilities and was able to follow through with his plan. Personally he grew in confidence and he learned how to sway the truth and twist reality. He then was once again allowed the pleasure of achieving his desires.

Through Kalila and Dimna we can also see that boldness needs to be used at opportune times. Boldness can often seem pushy and arrogant if not used in the right timing and context. The book has many great quotes concerning this tactic, such as “A man’s tongue may cut his own throat,” “I have never regretted imposing silence upon myself, but have often repented of uttering words,” and “I am the slave of what I have spoken, but the master of what I conceal.”

The quote stating that “A man’s tongue may cut his own throat,” is really interesting to me. It shows that words have the power to kill. Words are so powerful that they can place you into harmful situations and can lead to death. This quote seems to remind me of the beginning of the book where king Dabshelim would kill those who spoke boldly against him. It seems true that those who spoke against the king cut their throats with even their own tongues. These men seem to be willing to die for the sake of their tongues opinions.

“I have never regretted imposing silence upon myself, but have often repented of uttering words.” This quote also sparks some interest for me, as it leads to the theory that silence can hardly harm, whereas words can do great damage. This quote helps me to remember examples in my life, when I have sometimes spoken before thinking ahead of time. My mother always says that “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” I think both of these phrases, from my mother and from Kalila and Dimna, go hand in hand. They theorize that silence is sometimes better than sharing opinions, and that boldness in words should be carefully thought out.

The other quote that I enjoyed stated that “I am the slave to what I have spoken, but the master of what I conceal.” This is my favorite quote out of the past few because it brings a great visualization. It shows the fact that once you say something, there is no way of retrieving it. You can never take back what you have said because of the human ability to internalize and remember concepts. Thus, we become slaves to the things that we share with others. The subjects, opinions, concepts, ideas, etc. that we keep to ourselves however, seem to be safe and locked up. Only we as ourselves know what goes on inside of our intricate minds. If a thought isn’t shared with others, it remains ours forever, making us masters of it.

I agree with the notion in the book that “fortune favors the bold.” Boldness allows for opportunities to be able to grow and develop and to achieve what we desire. By being bold we can more easily be prepared to meet others, become recognized, and to grow personally. Through boldness Dimna was able to receive his fortune. We are subject to the same success if we follow his example, except we should always use this boldness for good. Fortune favors the bold, and we can find success through placing ourselves in situations to act accordingly. I also agree with the quotes that state that words need to be harnessed for certain occasions. We should be bold but also reserved. We must use boldness with caution and allow for words to only be spoken when well thought out.

In conclusion, I would like to finalize my findings with the idea that boldness is essential, but requires pre-thought and meditation. Dimna was able to be bold, but he always made sure to develop a plan beforehand. By preparing ourselves for the moments in which bold words are required, we are able to become strong individuals. We can become successful through initiating pre-meditation, and portraying ourselves boldly to others. Through Kalila and Dimna I have taken away this knowledge, and I believe that it will help me throughout the rest of my life. Right now in my life as a college student, I know that I must be bold especially in seeking for internship and employment opportunities. I must be bold but also careful in how I present myself. I know that with preparation I can execute my plans, be bold, and achieve my goals and dreams.