Thread: A good philosophy

A philosophy lecturer stood at the front of the lecture theatre before his students and produced a large and empty glass jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks of about 5 cm in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a handful of finer gravel and put it into the jar and rattled the jar around until the gravel filled the gaps between the larger rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor picked up a couple of handfuls of sand and poured them into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up the remaining spaces.

He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students reluctantly responded with a unanimous - yes. The professor then produced two cans of beer proceeded to pour them both into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The gravel is the other stuff that matters like your job, your home, your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, “there is no room for the gravel or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out. There will always be time for work and other less important things. Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."

[This message has been edited by Eastie (edited 08 January 2003).]