Don't scratch where there is no itch!

A story was told of John (not his real name), a working executive who was trying to be helpful and hence volunteered himself to serve his colleague's clients when the colleague was going on a holiday trip. On a separate occasion, he stood in for his colleague when the latter's child was sick.

But, one day, when John was leaving for a family holiday trip, his colleague refused to stand in for him at work even in the last minutes before his departure. John, being desperate and angry, reminded him of how much he had helped him in the past, but was to be curtly told, ''You volunteered yourself, I didn't ask you for help. Even without your help, I would have managed it myself''.

Of course, John felt that his colleague was very ungrateful. But, he learnt a lesson that day - Don't scratch where there is no itch. Similarly, don't try to be too smart, sometimes!