There once was a small village next to a heavily forested area. In the woods, a large group of wild, feral hogs roamed free. They were multiplying in number, getting increasingly hostile and all attempts by the villagers to keep them docile and under control, were not working. The village elders consulted an expert trapper, and after they had explained the problem, the trapper promised that within a few weeks, he would have solved the problem, capturing ALL the wild hogs into a secure enclosure keeping the villagers safe.
The trapper left, and after several weeks passed, he returned to the village elders, smiled and told them he had accomplished his goal. Some villagers accompanied him out into the woods and sure enough, hundreds of wild hogs were successfully trapped inside a secure fence. The people couldn’t believe that he had succeeded in trapping so many of these wild animals that were so strong and uncontrollable. The trapper explained how he did it. He said he first created a clearing in the woods, then in the center of the clearing, he placed corn- some food for the wild hogs.
At first, the hogs were wary of what he was doing but they became curious when they saw the food he had laid out for them. They continued foraging for their OWN food at first, but the hogs’ suspicions eventually waned and some of the young, naïve pigs ventured into the clearing first, eating the trapper’s corn. Day after day, the trapper walked out into the clearing and laid out corn for the wild hogs. The young pigs were soon joined by older hogs, who became accustomed to partaking of their daily, free food. It wasn’t long before ALL the hogs joined in, delighted by the fact that they no longer had to provide for themselves. They all crowded into the clearing, eating the trapper’s corn. Even the wild hogs most successful at finding their own food had joined in, because they figured if they did not partake of the free corn, then somebody else would. They no longer perceived the trapper as their enemy, after all- he was the wonderful provider of all this FREE food! In fact they were so busy consuming they were oblivious to the trapper quietly building a side of fencing behind them…
The wild hogs walked around the new fence, after all it was just a mild inconvenience. The next day, the trapper continued placing corn in the middle of the clearing; this time while they were distracted and eating, he built another side of fencing connected to the first one, forming an ‘L’ shape. The day after that, he built another side of fencing so there was only one side left for the wild hogs to enter the clearing. By this time, the hogs were completely desensitized to the presence of the trapper and their movement being more and more restricted by the fence being built around them.
Finally, the trapper laid out one more batch of corn, and this time while the wild hogs were eating, he quickly activated one final spring-loaded gate, trapping them all and capturing the whole herd.
The wild hogs frantically ran around inside of the fence, but they soon realized they had been captured and had lost all their freedom. Despite the hogs being some of the most intelligent in the animal kingdom, they realized too late that the trapper’s only goal all along was complete control over the herd, that the clearing was a trap and the free food was bait. The willd hogs couldn’t believe they failed to see that the trapper’s free corn was not actually free, but it was used as a means to ensnare them, and really- why would anyone give them anything for free unless there was an agenda in mind? And they had forgotten that when they allowed the trapper to provide FOR them, they gave up the freedom that went with making their own choices.
The hogs milled around for awhile, then just went back to eating the free corn. They had become so used to it that they have forgotten how to provide for themselves, so they accepted their imprisonment.
Meanwhile the villagers congratulated the trapper on his accomplishment. The trapper just grinned and said, “I can subdue ANY animal I want. All I have to do, is first make them depend on ME, for a free handout.”
