An Analytical Study of the Story of Moses and the Shepherd Based on Glasser’s Choice Theory

Subject Areas : Mystic Literatur

Ānāhitā Chitgarzādeh ¹ , Nozhat Noohi ² , Tooraj Aghdāie ³ , Hosein Ārian ⁴

1 - Ph D. Candidate of Persian Language and Literature, IAU, Zanjān Branch
2 -
3 - The Associated Professor of Persian Language and Literature, IAU, Zanjān Branch
4 - The Assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature, IAU, Zanjān Branch

Received: 2025-03-23 Accepted : 2025-06-22 Published : 2025-09-23

Keywords: Choice Theory, Moses, Shepherd, Masnavi-ye Ma‘navi, Quality World.,

Abstract :

William Glasser, the American psychologist, through the formulation of Choice Theory, made a substantial contribution to the shift in psychology from external control to internal control, emphasizing responsibility, reality acceptance, and the power of choice. Choice Theory posits that all human actions are forms of behavior, that every behavior is chosen, and that individuals are intrinsically driven by their genetic makeup to fulfill five fundamental needs: love and belonging, power and achievement, freedom, fun, and survival. Within this framework, each individual possesses what is referred to as a “quality world”—a mental construct of an idealized reality that constitutes the core of one’s existence. The present study, employing an analytical–descriptive method and grounded in William Glasser’s Choice Theory, seeks to formulate the behavioral patterns of the two central characters—Moses and the Shepherd—in Masnavi Ma‘navi of Jalal al-Din Rumi. The findings indicate that Moses and the Shepherd each pursue different paths. Moses, relying on his prophetic power and spiritual authority, rejects the Shepherd’s choice and reproaches him. God, however, admonishes Moses and reminds him of his responsibility. The Shepherd’s choice is affirmed and divinely sanctioned, enabling him in a single moment to transcend from the realm of Sharia (Islamic Law) to that of Tariqa (Sufi Path), ultimately attaining the Truth.