Parables That Transformed My Life: The Final Installment
Wisdom in Stories: The Final Chapter of Life-Altering Parables
This is the last post in a series of three. If you enjoy this one, do not forget to check the other two out. They are linked at the end of the post. I normally put some flashy thing with some funny metaphor to get you to subscribe and share, but that is not the case here. If you enjoyed the stories below, consider subscribing because this series took a lot of effort and time. If you think someone else will benefit from this post consider sharing because sharing is caring. If nothing else do click on the heart button near the title, it helps the algorithm. Thanks.
The parable of The Writer’s Dog
Once upon a time, there was a dedicated author who spent weeks locked away in his room, pouring his heart and soul into his writing. He toiled tirelessly until he had completed his masterpiece, his magnum opus. Feeling a mix of satisfaction and exhaustion, he decided it was time for a refreshing walk outside.
Several hours passed, and as he returned home from his rejuvenating stroll, a shocking sight greeted him. His beloved house was strewn with shreds of paper scattered about. To his dismay, he discovered that his mischievous dog had mistaken his precious manuscript for a tasty snack and torn it to pieces. Instead of succumbing to frustration or anger, the author's response was surprisingly compassionate. He gently patted his dog and lovingly fed it some dog food.
Undeterred by the setback, the author retrieved his trusty typewriter and set to work once again. To his surprise, his rewritten version turned out even better than the original. Little did he know that this revised work would endure through the years, captivating readers for generations to come. Published 86 years ago, it still holds a special place in literary history as one of John Steinbeck's finest creations. This timeless book is none other than "Of Mice and Men."
This story is often told by mother to me and all the 4 primary classes she teaches in the year. However the one she tells has the dog shredding a research paper by Archimedes which I could not get other sources for. I think mom has muddled the names quite a lot…
Life Plan
A university professor on the first day of class asked his class of 200 to raise their hands if they had a plan for the next weekend. Almost all of them raised their hands.
HE then asked them if they had a plan till the next test. A few hands went down but yet majority students had a plan. He then asked if they had a plan till the next five years. Only 50 hands were left standing. What about ten? 10 hands. What about their whole life? Only three students raised their hand. The class laughed heartily at their expense. They hadn’t completed their education and they talk of a life plan. The professor however stood silent and noted down the names of these three. 25 years later, when the reunion took place the net worth of these three students was more than the combined net worth of all the other.
This story, if I remember correctly, is from Robin Sharma’s The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Daily Wisdom. I love the story because it in very little words, shows you how important having a plan is.
Quantity vs Quality
A ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the “quantity” group: fifty pound of pots rated an “A”, forty pounds a “B”, and so on. Those being graded on “quality”, however, needed to produce only one pot — albeit a perfect one — to get an “A”. Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the “quantity” group was busily churning out piles of work – and learning from their mistakes — the “quality” group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.
I have shared this story enough times, on reddit, on this newsletter and I love it. Thats all.
The Height of It
The graduate class was asked the following question as part of the final exam paper at Copenhagen University: "How will you find the height of a skyscraper using a barometer?"
One student answered, "I will hang the barometer with a long rope from the top of the building. Once the barometer touches the ground, then I will measure the length of the rope. I will add the height of the barometer to the length of the rope to determine the height of the skyscraper."
The examiner felt almost offended after reading this very original solution. He got very angry and failed the student. The aggrieved student appealed to the University and pleaded that his answer was correct, and if any proof was required, it could be tested. The University was in a fix. It appointed an external, neutral examiner to objectively and dispassionately unravel the truth.
After a deep probe, the external examiner gave his verdict: "Though the student's answer is correct, it does not reflect any deep understanding of physics." So it was decided to call the student for a six-minute interview to test his understanding and grasp of the basic principles of physics.
During the interview, the student sat absolutely silent with his head hung low for the first five minutes. When the examiner reminded him of the time limit, the student replied, "Sir, I know of several elegant solutions. But I am unable to decide on the most appropriate one!"
On being coaxed by the examiner, the boy gave a quick reply: "Well, you can drop the barometer from the top of the skyscraper. Measure the period 't' of the fall. Then, using the equation H = 0.5gt^2, calculate the height of the building. In this experiment, the barometer, of course, will get smashed to pieces.
Or else, if it is a sunny day, then you can first measure the actual height of the barometer and the length of its shadow. Next, you measure the length of the shadow cast by the skyscraper. Later, using simple arithmetic and the principle of similar triangles, you can find the height of the skyscraper.
But if you wish to use a very precise scientific method, then tie the barometer to the end of a short string and swing it like a pendulum - first on the ground and then on the roof of the building. The height of the skyscraper can then be determined by using the simple equation for finding the time period of a simple pendulum.
But if the skyscraper has an emergency staircase, then the task will be much easier. While climbing up the stairs, keep measuring the height of the building using the barometer like a scale. Later, you can add them up to calculate the height of the skyscraper.
But if you wish to adopt a very conventional and boring way, then using the barometer, you can measure the difference in atmospheric pressure on the ground and the top of the building. This difference in air pressure, given in millibars, can later be converted into feet to give the height of the building.
But students are always asked to use their own original and independent ideas to learn science, so the best solution would undoubtedly be to go to the security guard of the building and tell him, 'Here, you can have this brand new barometer, but first you will have to tell me the height of the building!'"
The name of this student was Niels Bohr, the first and only person from Denmark to win a Nobel Prize in Physics.
I love this parable. I had read it when I was 12 in ‘Hands On’ by Arvind Gupta. This had made Niels Bohr my favorite scientist for quite some time, before he was usurped by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. Homi Bhaba. I wrote a post about them here,
And with that we conclude the 3 post series about the 10 parables, stories, tales which define me as a person. If you liked these, you are sure to love the other 6 stories.
As I mentioned in the start, if you enjoyed the stories, consider subscribing because I create more such content. If you think someone else will benefit from this post consider sharing. If nothing else, do click the heart button near the top as that helps the algorithm push the content further.
Thanks for reading.
Warm Regards,
Arjun Agarwal.