The Beaker
My dad told me a story last week that went something like this (my apologies to him for inevitably butchering his story):
My dad was in some sort of chemistry class in College and at the beginning of one of the lectures, the professor pulled out a large glass beaker. He then proceeded to start putting golf ball sized rocks into the beaker and did so until he couldn't fit any more in. The professor then asked the class, "Is it full?", and the class said "yes".
So, then the professor got out a bag of pebbles and started putting pebbles into the beaker. He'd pause every now and then to shake the beaker and help the pebbles move to the bottom. Once he couldn't put anymore pebbles in, he asked the class, "Is it full?", and the class chuckled, "yes".
So, then the professor got out a bag of sand and started pouring sand into the beaker, using the same technique he used with the pebbles to get the sand to sift to the bottom. Once he couldn't put anymore sand in the beaker, he asked the class, "Is it full?". But at this point the class was getting wise and guessed that it probably wasn't.
So, the professor got out a pitcher of water and proceeded to pour the water into the beaker. He then asked the class, "So. What have we learned from this?" A brave student piped up and said, "There's always room for more!" And then the professor said:
"No, the beaker is your life and the rocks are the things most important to you. Put the rocks in first."
I think this was my dad's way of telling me I'm working too much these days.
20 February 2011 08:12pm UTC • 164 views • 5 comments
Tagged with life, story, dad, beaker
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5 comments
The Anonymous Poppy
21 February 2011 02:56am UTC
That's a cool object lesson! Though a weird one to have in a science class. I got it in church all the time when I was growing up, though.
I think it works best when you simultaneously try to put all that stuff into another, equally-sized beaker in the opposite order. If you start with the water, then the sand, the gravel, and then finally add the rocks last, they will never all fit.
(I'm not sure I buy it, though. I mean, I get that it's important to make priorities. But prioritizing doesn't, like, generate more time and energy to do stuff. It can make you more efficient, but there no guarantee of that, either. It just means that what gets left out is the least important thing, not that you'll suddenly be able to fit everything that you want into your life.)
Dread Pirate Benjamin
21 February 2011 07:47am UTC
Personally, what I take away isn't about efficiency at all. It is the implied opposite you mention that is important. I don't care about being able to fit all that crap in there, I just want to make sure I get the rocks in.
But yeah, I think you're right, this is one of those parables that you shouldn't over think...
Erik the Redish-orange
22 February 2011 02:52am UTC
I sure think you're working too much these days! When was the last time you had time to play Settlers with your brother in law and Boatswain?
Boatswain The Fool
22 February 2011 03:35am UTC
I second Erik's question. And, if the answer to it is not, "I'm playing Settlers with my brother-in-law and Boatswain right now," you're working too much.
Boatswain The Fool
22 February 2011 03:35am UTC
P.S., No, I am not a hypocrite. Thank you for asking.