In the Masnavi of Rumi, there is a great story:
One day, a know-it-all grammarian wanted to go across a long
river. He got on one of the small boats that was rowed by a
boatman. Halfway across the river, he said to the boatman,
"Hey, Boatman, tell me, do you know anything about
grammar?" The boatman said, "No, Sir, I do not know
anything about the grammar". "Ah well," the
grammarian replied, "then, half of your life has been
wasted!" The boatman felt sad but did not say anything and
kept rowing. A little later, a strong storm began to blow, and
their boat was on the edge of capsizing. The boatman asked,
"Sir, do you know how to swim?" The grammarian looked
terrified and said, "Oh no, I do not know how to swim."
"Ah well", the boatman replied, "then, your whole
life has been wasted, because we are about to sink in this
whirlpool!
