Friday, March 23, 2007

The importance of observation

One for Friday...

First-year students at Texas A&M's Vet School were receiving their first anatomy class, with a real dead cow. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet.

The professor started the class by telling them, "In vet medicine it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor: The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the animal body. For example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the dead cow, withdrew it and stuck it in his mouth.

"Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his students . The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes. But eventually took turns sticking a finger in the anal opening of the dead cow and sucking on it. When everyone finished, the Professor looked at them and told them, "The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention."


Wouldn't you say magic tricks are like that too? Is it the hand that's quicker than the eye or is it the eye being quicker than the hand? Oh well...

3 comments:

  1. That's a good one...the speed of the hand gives wrong impression to a distracted observer who tends to assume easily.

    Have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would add:
    Pay attention to the important thing, not the trivial stuff.

    When you are driving, try not to be distracted by the bill boards, or the handsome guy/pretty gal in another car.

    It's easier to say than to do, of course...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Joe, right. We sometimes fool ourselves by jumping to conclusions. Hope you had a great w/e.

    KS, it is true that we too get caught up in the trivial stuff and forget the big picture or the things that matter. Human folly, perhaps?

    Your comment on not being distracted while driving sure rings a bell. I've been accused of being too blind to not notice waving friends. Arghhh!!! You win some, you lose some. LOL

    ReplyDelete