In a quiet mountain path, a merchant bumped into a monk. Curious, he asked, “Monk, what’s the village ahead like?”

The monk looked at him and said, “What stories have you heard?”

The merchant, a bit hesitant, replied, “I’ve been told they’re not very nice.”

The monk simply said, “That might be what you’ll find.”

Later, another traveler walked the same path and met the monk. He too asked about the village. The monk posed the same question, “What have you heard?”

This traveler smiled, “I’ve heard they’re very welcoming.”

The monk nodded, “That’s probably what you’ll find.”

The story reminds us that often, our experiences are shaped by our expectations.