---
title: The Starfish Story
created: 2026-08-14
modified: 2026-08-14
category: Parable
---

 Adapted from [Loren Eiseley’s “The Start Thrower / Starfish Story” (1969)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Thrower)

> An old man was walking along the beach when he noticed a young boy picking up starfish and throwing them back into the ocean.
>
> Approaching the boy, he asked, “Excuse me, but what are you doing?”
>
> The boy replied, “The sun is rising and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw the starfish back in, they’ll die.”
>
> The old man shook his head and said, “But there’s too many starfish on this beach. You can’t possibly make a difference.”
>
> After thinking for a moment, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean.
>
> Then, he turned to the old man and said, **“Well, I made a difference to that one.”**