A shepherd repeatedly called to the village that wolves were attacking his sheep. Each time, the villagers ran to help and discovered that he had fooled them.
Then wolves really came. The shepherd shouted again, but the villagers assumed it was another joke and stayed home. The wolves ravaged the flock.
The shepherd’s lies did more than create false beliefs. They damaged the channel through which a future truth would need to travel.
Source: Aesop, “The Joking Shepherd,” The Complete Fables, fable 318, PDF pp. 268-269. Retold.
What it argues
Trust is a reserve that false alarms spend. When credibility is exhausted, even accurate warnings lose their power.
Use it for: misinformation, institutional credibility, alarm fatigue, and personal integrity.