Practical Thinking

Reshma was one of the country’s best psychologists. Once, while sitting amongst her colleagues, she told them about an incident. She said, “I was weak in my studies. One day, while I was studying in the library, I was so bored that I got up and went out of my hostel room to freshen up. I saw a black coloured envelope lying right outside my door. I thought surely it had to be a mistake; who would send me a letter? But the envelope had my name and address written on it. I picked it up and started to read it.” 

“It said, ‘Miss Reshma, I have heard that you are a psychology student and that you were a brilliant school student but have now become a weak student. You have even failed the exam, which is your last attempt to become a psychologist. All this information concludes that you just learn, you don’t take things practically. In school, you topped because you were cramming. But now it is the need for understanding. I know how you can score well in your exam.’” 

While narrating the incident, Reshma suddenly stopped and said, “Leave it, it’s not important,” but her friends forced her to tell them the whole incident. 

So, Reshma began again and said, “The letter ended with a phone number. It also asked me to dial the phone number to find a way to score well in my exams. My eyes searched for the writer’s name, but all it said was ‘your well-wisher’. At that time I just forgot about everything else and dialled the number. I was really surprised when I realised it was my mother’s phone number. I checked the number twice but it was my mother.” 

“I was unable to understand what was happening. Hurriedly, I called my mother—no greetings, no wishes, just questions about the letter. My mother said, ‘Calm down dear. Now listen, I do not know much about psychology but I know this to be a psychological fact that if you have a problem, you face more problems and if you look for a possibility of a solution, you see several opportunities waiting for you. This is one of the basic facts that you are studying. It is also a moral value. Think positively and work hard! You will surely win. What you are studying is a part of your daily life, so what you learn is not just answers to a question paper, but it is also a magical pen that will help you answer questions about life. One more thing, stop cramming!’ and I said, ‘Mom, you are the most intelligent one in the world.’” 

And with that, Reshma, one of the best psychologists in the country, ended up narrating an episode of her success story. 

Moral: Don’t be a crammer. Take your lessons practically—it’s the only way of becoming intelligent.