Glass of Water

A psychology professor was pacing back and forth on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium full of students. When she raised a glass of water, everyone expected to hear the typical “glass half empty or glass half full?” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the teacher asked: “What is the weight of this glass of water I'm holding?”

The students shouted out answers ranging from eight grams to a few kilos.

She replied: “From my point of view, the absolute weight of this glass doesn't matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for one or two minutes, it's quite light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight can make my arm hurt a bit. If I hold it for a whole day, my arm will probably cramp up and become completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass on the floor. In each situation, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it gets.”

As the class nodded in agreement, she continued: “Your stresses and worries in life are very similar to this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a little longer and you'll start to feel a little pain. Think about them all day and you'll feel completely numb and paralyzed, unable to do anything else until you drop it.

Author unknown

Source: The School of Practical Philosophy

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