Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.
April 28th, 2008 by
Robert Heinlein – http://thinkexist.com/…/218581.html
Inspired to look this up based on a conversation with a client – she was talking about discussing marketing with her husband and that it was a frustrating experience for both of them.
The problem is… often you don’t know that you’re trying to teach a pig to sing… until it starts to “oink”.
Virtual Impax,
Too true! Thanks for stopping by.
This has become my most often used life’s lesson. I quote this daily. I always took it to mean there are many times when you just can’t reach certain people, or make them understand.
@Jim,
Yes, I love this phrase. It always makes me think of The Fountainhead “Casting pearls before swine without expecting so much as a pork chop in return”.
But, yes, I have taken the meaning as you did. You can shout until you’re blue in the face but a pig will never learn to sing and some people will never “get it” on the level you’d like.
So you have to reach them on their level or not at all 🙂
On the other hand, “perhaps the horse [or pig] will sing.”
Very nice story Jack, thanks!