What Do You See?

The Surprise Test. One day, a teacher entered the classroom and asked the students to prepare for a surprise test. The students looked around nervously while the teacher handed out the test sheets face down, as usual.Once all the papers were distributed, the teacher asked them to turn the page and begin. To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions only a black dot in the center of the page. The teacher then said, “Please write down what you see.” 

A bit confused, the students began writing. At the end of the lesson, the teacher collected the papers and started reading their answers aloud. Without exception, every student had described the black dot its color, its position, its shape. Some gave artistic interpretations, others gave mathematical ones. Not one student mentioned the white space on the page. After reading all the answers, the teacher smiled and said: “This test was meant to make you think. Everyone focused on the black dot, but no one wrote about the white space. And this is often how we look at life. We focus on the small dark spots our flaws, mistakes, or the negative things around us and forget about the vast white space full of possibilities, beauty, and blessings.”

Food for thought

• Are you able to think differently than how you’ve been taught to think?
• Can you still think beyond the lines that social media draws for you?
• Can you think without your smartphone? 
• Try seeing the white space, not just the black dot.