A Scorpion is a Scorpion

Kind of brings Timothy Treadwell to mind doesn't it? "A Grizzly Bear is a Grizzly Bear".

The Danish version of the story goes like this:

A wandering dog came upon a swift stream where stood a scorpion that wanted to cross. The scorpion asked the dog if he would swim across the stream with the scorpion on his back.

"But you'll sting me", replied the dog.

"No I won't", said the scorpion. "If i did that I would drown!".

"OK", replied the good natured dog. "Crawl up onto my back and I will take you across to the other side".

So the scorpion crawls up onto the dog's back and the dog starts to swim. When halfway across the scorpion stings the dog and the dog asks:

"Why did you do that, now you will drown!", the dog gasped as he is dying.

"Hey, I'm a scorpion - It's my nature!", replied the scorpion.

Survival Topics - very good!  The scorpion simply cannot help acting in his own true nature. 

Perhaps Scorpion could be replaced with Liberal Politician?

Understanding human behavior is a critical survival skill and one that is not often discussed.

RJ, isn't it BECAUSE of human nature that many of us will be thrust into survival situations?

I too have heard the version "it is my nature", nearly all my life. It says, more than just being a "leopard can't change it's spots" story as the version above, that even at the cost of its own LIFE, treachery will always be it's nature and it is unable to act in any other way. Scary, but true of a LOT of people. You can't tell what bubbles under the surface, while a civil mask hides one's true, baser nature.

I was told this story in a college class I took. It was presented as a Native American parable. Before crossing the stream the dog argues that the scorpion will sting him, to which the scorpion replies something like, "But if you are carrying me and I sting you, then we'll both drown. That wouldn't make any sense now would it?" The dog agrees that this makes perfect sense and agrees to carry the scorpion. The scorpion of course stings the dog while in the stream and they both drown. The story was used to illustrate that sometimes logic or seemingly air-tight arguments are irrelevant, and that people just act according to human nature.

The scorpion represents people too, Don't trust anyone for they may only want your resources, and "sting" you in return.

Very thought provoking.   In the sort of survivalist situations I envisage being in there will no point in talking to potential scorpions. I will try to avoid them at all costs or I will be faced with having to stamp them into the ground on sight because I'm not a fantastic judge of character.