Once upon a time there was a Greek philosopher who told one of his disciples to give money to anyone who insulted him, for three years. At the end of this period of testing the master said to him, “Now you may go to Athens to learn wisdom.” Entering Athens the disciple met a wise man who was sitting by the city gate insulting all the passers-by. He did the same to the disciple who immediately burst out laughing. “Why do you laugh when I insult you?” demanded the wise man. “Because for three years I have been giving money to those who insulted me, and now you are doing it for nothing.” “Come into the city. It belongs to you,” replied the wise man. Abba John, who was in the habit of recounting this story would add: “That is the gateway to God.”

The Desert Fathers