A renowned philosopher decided to get a new pet. He went to the pet shop and examined all sorts of creatures: birds, fish, hamsters. But nothing caught his eye.
Finally, at the back of the shop, he saw an old owl sitting in a small, quiet cage, seemingly lost in deep thought.
The philosopher turned to the shop owner. “How much is this owl?” he asked. “It looks very wise.”
The shop owner smiled. “Ah, that owl! He’s truly special. A very rare species and incredibly intelligent. His price is 10,000 dollars.”
The philosopher was surprised. “10,000 dollars? Isn’t that too much for an owl? The parrot in the next cage is only 500 dollars!”
“That’s true,” said the shop owner. “But that parrot only says ‘Hello.’ This owl, as I said, is very intelligent. He even participates in philosophical debates.”
The philosopher’s interest grew. “Philosophical debates? What kind of debates? Really?”
The shop owner whispered: “Yes. In fact, last week, he debated existentialism with me for three hours. And in the end, he refuted all my arguments.“