A teacher teaching math to a class of 6-year-olds, asked a boy called Arnav in class “Arnav if I give you two mangoes and two mangoes how many will you have?” Arnav said “5.” The teacher said again “Arnav if I give you two mangoes and two mangoes how many will you have?” “5” replied Arnav.
The teacher was upset but remember that Arnav’s mum had said that Arnav doesn’t like mango he likes strawberries. So, she changed her example. “If I give you two strawberries and two Strawberries how many will you have.?” “4” replied Arnav. The change of strategy pleased the teacher. Just to confirm that Arnav understood his math right she asked Aana again “Arnav if I give you two mangoes and two mangoes how many will you have?” Arnav replied “5.” The teacher now was annoyed. “How can two and two strawberries be four and two and two mangoes be 5.” Arnav replied “I already have one mango in my bag madam.”
Who was right? Was the teacher wrong? No, because 2 + 2 is 4. Was Arnav wrong? No, because 2 + 2 is 4 and 1 mango in my bag makes it 5.
Is it not a fact that all kinds of conflicts come because of the gap between technical and practical rightness?
The teacher was technically right. Technical rightness means to see what is visible.
And Arnav was practically right. Practical rightness means to see beyond the obvious. Practical rightness means the hidden mango.
Ladies and gentlemen, very often, all our conflicts come because of the gap between the technical and the practical rightness. Whenever you find that your spouse is not loving you enough, yes you may be technically right, he or she may not actually love you that much. But are you practically right? Why is he or she not loving you? Your child may not be listening to you and technically your right, your child is not listening to you. But are you practically right? Try to see beyond the obvious, why your child is not behaving right.
The next time you see someone not fit into your definition of what is technically right, please don’t be judgmental. Go beyond the obvious. Go beyond the seen, and try to look for the hidden mango which will truly help you to understand the person and resolve the conflicting situation that you are in.
