Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Philosophy For Everyone
A masterful professor stood on his platform without saying a word. He took out an empty mayonnaise bottle and a bag of golf balls.
He filled all the golf balls into the empty mayonnaise bottle. He then asked the students if they would agree that the empty bottle was now full.
Everyone of course agreed.
After that, the professor took out a cup of small cobblestones from under the table and he slowly poured them into the bottle while shaking it. Soon, the cobblestones filled up all the gap in between the golf balls.
Then, the professor asked the students again if they would agree that the bottle was full?
The students said yes.
Again, the professor took out a cup of fine sand from under the table.
Following the same method, by pouring while shaking the bottle, he filled up the small gap in between the cobblestone with the fine sands.
Professor: “Is the bottle really full now?"
Students: " Yes, it should be full. No more gaps".
Just as the students thought it was over, the professor brought out two cups of coffee from under the table and he slowly poured all the coffee from the cups into the bottle until not a single drop was left.
After pouring the coffee, the professor smiled at the students and said, “Now the bottle is truly full".
The students laughed together with the professor.
Then the professor started his lecture.
"Do you know what I am trying to teach you with my demonstration today?"
"I am using this mayonnaise bottle to tell you a philosophy of life"
"This empty mayonnaise bottle represents our life"
"Golf balls are the major things in our life, such as God, family, children, friends, health and love.
It doesn't matter that life is without those cobblestones and fine sands. But if our life is without the major things above, it will be meaningless.
The small cobblestones will be like "the other things" in our life such as job, house, car, etc.
As for the fine sands, they are just like the small little things in our life, those trivial matters which are not important.
If I began my show by putting the fine sands into the empty mayonnaise bottle first, there would not be any space for golf balls and the cobblestones.
In the same way, if I were to fill the cobblestones in first, there would be no space for the golf balls either.
Just like our life, if you spent all your precious time on those trivial matters, you wouldn't have time to do the important things.
Therefore, we should spend more time on the things which are related to our happiness.
Be with our children more often.
Spend more time for parents, grandparents and other family members.
Pay attention to our health.
Do not worry about the unfinished household chores.
Do not worry about rooms that have not been cleaned up.
Do not worry about not tending the garden.
There will be time for us to do these things.
Give more thoughts to those major and important things in life!
There is only one life.
Life will only be meaningful if we are clear about the importance and priority of things in life.
A student raised up his hand at this point of time
"Professor, what about the two cups of coffee? Do they mean anything?"
"I am glad that you ask the question", answered the professor.
The message from the two cups of coffee for us are,
No matter how full our mayonnaise bottle seems to be, we will always have time for coffee with our friends.
It seems that we are always busy as though the 24 hours we have are not enough.
If you still think that way, please remember the story of the empty mayonnaise bottle and two cups of coffee.
He filled all the golf balls into the empty mayonnaise bottle. He then asked the students if they would agree that the empty bottle was now full.
Everyone of course agreed.
After that, the professor took out a cup of small cobblestones from under the table and he slowly poured them into the bottle while shaking it. Soon, the cobblestones filled up all the gap in between the golf balls.
Then, the professor asked the students again if they would agree that the bottle was full?
The students said yes.
Again, the professor took out a cup of fine sand from under the table.
Following the same method, by pouring while shaking the bottle, he filled up the small gap in between the cobblestone with the fine sands.
Professor: “Is the bottle really full now?"
Students: " Yes, it should be full. No more gaps".
Just as the students thought it was over, the professor brought out two cups of coffee from under the table and he slowly poured all the coffee from the cups into the bottle until not a single drop was left.
After pouring the coffee, the professor smiled at the students and said, “Now the bottle is truly full".
The students laughed together with the professor.
Then the professor started his lecture.
"Do you know what I am trying to teach you with my demonstration today?"
"I am using this mayonnaise bottle to tell you a philosophy of life"
"This empty mayonnaise bottle represents our life"
"Golf balls are the major things in our life, such as God, family, children, friends, health and love.
It doesn't matter that life is without those cobblestones and fine sands. But if our life is without the major things above, it will be meaningless.
The small cobblestones will be like "the other things" in our life such as job, house, car, etc.
As for the fine sands, they are just like the small little things in our life, those trivial matters which are not important.
If I began my show by putting the fine sands into the empty mayonnaise bottle first, there would not be any space for golf balls and the cobblestones.
In the same way, if I were to fill the cobblestones in first, there would be no space for the golf balls either.
Just like our life, if you spent all your precious time on those trivial matters, you wouldn't have time to do the important things.
Therefore, we should spend more time on the things which are related to our happiness.
Be with our children more often.
Spend more time for parents, grandparents and other family members.
Pay attention to our health.
Do not worry about the unfinished household chores.
Do not worry about rooms that have not been cleaned up.
Do not worry about not tending the garden.
There will be time for us to do these things.
Give more thoughts to those major and important things in life!
There is only one life.
Life will only be meaningful if we are clear about the importance and priority of things in life.
A student raised up his hand at this point of time
"Professor, what about the two cups of coffee? Do they mean anything?"
"I am glad that you ask the question", answered the professor.
The message from the two cups of coffee for us are,
No matter how full our mayonnaise bottle seems to be, we will always have time for coffee with our friends.
It seems that we are always busy as though the 24 hours we have are not enough.
If you still think that way, please remember the story of the empty mayonnaise bottle and two cups of coffee.
