With my head bowed I was pulled away from the lens of the microscope. And for a moment I felt a fool because I didn’t really know what was happening again…
It was during a biology lecture in the university and we were treating micro-organisms, cells and all. So the lecture was moved to the laboratory so we could use the available microscopes. The sample slides were already placed on the stage of every microscope ready for viewing.
We were clustered into different groups to use the microscopes and report as a group. And because the magnifying instruments were not enough we had to share. Each group assigned a head to represent individual groups during the practical session.
Other groups were excited and taking turns to look into the ocular lens of the device while the lecturer moved about to instruct on how to handle and use the instrument to avoid misuse.
Then it was my turn in my group and I took a peep to see what was getting people excited.
And behold I saw… nothing. Stark black nothingness.
Raising my head up and thinking what to reply I answered with a straight face
“I don’t see anything. It’s just dark.”
Those who took turns before me especially the group leader insisted they saw ‘whatever’ they saw. I looked again and saw nothing but same and even more blackness.
We started arguing – me against every other person that had taken a peek before me while others who hadn’t taken a peek tried to. Our argument started drawing attention until the lecturer noticed and came over.
“What’s going on here?”, he asked.
When he was told what was happening he took a peek for himself and he saw what he saw… Didn’t say a word.
He held me by the wrist and took me to another group he was about helping out before he left for ours because of the argument.
By this time my group started laughing at me.
Unto the next group and the lecturer took a peep and asked me to look in the lens too.
I looked, raised my head and I was about speaking when he hushed me.
“Shhhhhhhhhhhh”
By now other groups were watching and joining in the laughter.
“Quiet please,” he demanded.
He asked somebody else in the other group to also take a look and after the person gazed into the lens he asked both of us to come with him to the front of the class along with the microscope we used.
I was calm but my heart was racing.
Now in front of the class, he requested we tell the class what we saw. Starting with the last guy…
“Sir, I saw something that looks like a cell and it’s…” he was answering while I tried to gather myself.
“And you, what did you see?” the lecturer asked facing me.
I had two choices – a) tell them what I saw and get laughed at again, or b) change my story by going with the general opinion and save myself the embarrassment. It’s my choice…
I looked up and replied with a straight face.
Two-third of the class was keeling over with laughter while the remaining few were as confused as I was.
He let the whole noise die down then continued. I wasn’t sure what was happening at this time again even though I knew what I had seen and that was what I reported – nothing. I saw nothing. He called my group up to one side and we all faced the class.
“All of you take a look at them and take a look at him”
Silence ensued as no one was sure what was happening anymore.
“You were told to report what you saw. Meanwhile the caps on the objective lenses of some of the microscopes were still on while you were busy ‘looking’ into the optical lens and lying about what you didn’t see,” he told the class holding up the microscope and the lens cap he took off in the other hand.
“This young man reported what he saw and you liars laughed at him. Why would you report what you didn’t see?”
The laboratory went quiet looking like a herd of deer caught in the stadium lights.
When a leader leads the pack in the wrong direction believing it’s the right path it’s a sure disaster.
Because you do something and don’t get as much approval as you thought doesn’t necessarily mean you’re wrong. If you have that inner conviction then keep at it!
People will always want you to see the world through their own lens. And if you don’t see what they want you to see then you’re wrong. But what do you really see?
Don’t be forced to wear someone else’s glasses just because you’re told they’re medicated. Do they aid you to see more clearly?
And so I learnt TWO LESSONS in that lab:
LESSON 1: Stand firm for the truth you believe even if you stand alone. But wait…
What do you believe? Why do you believe? How do you believe and see for yourself? Or is it through the world’s lens and standards? What influences your decision-making?
HOW PEOPLE TAKE AND MAKE LIFE DECISIONS
The wildebeest effect
Every year the wildebeests migrate from South-East Africa to the North-West in Africa looking for greener pastures. They have to make the decision to cross every river when they get there. But not one of them wants to take the first decisive jump or look carefully to see where the water is shallow for crossing.
So if a calf mistakenly falls in the rest take a plunge and go for it. Throngs die each year from drowning and giant crocodiles because of not being careful to think before taking a plunge because someone did.
People take leaps without thinking for themselves or asking why just because someone else did before.
This is how people get ripped off through scam. They get convinced to join what they don’t know and are not sure of just because someone they know and trust is doing it. And they fall victim.
A lie gets to its destination before truth even wear it’s boots. A well-sponsored lie will go places the truth won’t dare knock. But the façade always crumbles to reveal what really is – the truth!
“Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Don’t believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Don’t believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” – Gautama Buddha (Quote is attributed to Buddha but argued whether he made the statement or not.)
Racism and tribalism among others thrive not because there are true but because children are brought up and told to believe and spread the lies of superiority and inferiority about others of same or different colour and tongue.
We’ve lived some lies for so long and passed them down as tradition.
LESSON 2: Don’t follow tradition or beliefs simply because it was handed to you as a custom. News reports and historical accounts are not to be believed always just because they seem reliable. Not even yourself! Don’t think it’s okay because it seems logical or resonates with your feelings.
CONCLUSION: Develop the ability to test your judgement, decisions, beliefs and points of view by the results they yield when you put them into practice; and — in case of the possibility of any bias, negative motive or limited understanding of those results — further check them against the experience of people who are truly wise.
These two are important internal and external factors to testing your decisions/actions.
In life you either choose to look at the world through an imperfect/’dark’ lens, or remove the facade and look inwards for the true answers you seek.
So what with what lens do you see?
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- Happy New Year 2020 - January 10, 2020
- Leave Your Comfort Zone - August 3, 2019
- Improvement: The Largest Room - August 2, 2019
