A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Deep asked
him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will
you have?"Within a few seconds Deep replied confidently,
"Four!"
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct
answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly,"
she thought. She repeated, "Deep, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and
one apple and one apple, how many apples will you
have?"
Deep had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face.
He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the
answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for
the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time
hesitatingly he replied, "Four…"
The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She
remembered that Deep liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like
apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated
excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry
and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will
have?"
Seeing the teacher happy, young Deep calculated on his
fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She
wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Deep enquired,
"Three?"
The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had
succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once
again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more
apple how many will you have?"
Promptly Deep answered,
"Four!"
The teacher was aghast. "How Deep, how?" she demanded in
a little stern and irritated voice.
In a voice that was low and hesitating young Deep
replied, "Because I already have one apple in my
bag."
"When someone gives you an answer that is different
from what you expect don't think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you
have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never
listen with a predetermined
notion."
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