Seeing Isn't Always Believing

Young Benno Muller-Hill couldn’t wait to see what his teacher had been describing in his science class. One by one, forty students lined up in the schoolyard to peer through a telescope aimed at a distant planet and its moons. The first student struggled to see anything until the teacher showed him how to adjust the focus. After that, each student gazed into space, whispering sounds of awe.

Finally, when it was Benno’s turn—the very last student——he watched as the student ahead of him admitted he couldn’t see anything. The teacher, impatient, instructed him to adjust the lenses, but still no luck. Frustrated, the teacher took a closer look and realized the problem: the lens cap had been on the whole time! None of the students had seen a thing.

It’s easy to follow popular thinking because it feels safe. But sometimes, following the crowd won’t lead you to new possibilities.

Dr. Muller-Hill didn’t settle for what everyone else claimed to see. He went on to become a renowned biologist, author, and lecturer by challenging assumptions and exploring the unknown.

What if today, you stopped relying on what’s “always been done” and started looking at things with fresh eyes? Who knows—your next breakthrough might be waiting behind your own lens cap, just waiting for you to take it off.

Bryan Thayer

 

***The information contained in this Letter to the Editor does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Huntington Beach News***

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