A jar full of pebbles...

Philosophy Forums Philosophy
1

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was dfull. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else—the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I’m glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

:smiley: …

2

Very nice lady Bessy,

Parables are always useful, within parameters.

Now I just need a friend. I always seem to have more coffee than friends … I wonder where that would fit into the moral of the parable?

3

Don’t we all…

4

do you actually have more coffee than friends?

I understand the parable, and I like it, but like sometimes aren’t the little or medium things necessarily more important than the golf balls, like sometimes your job- which is coffee, can be necessarily be more important than your family cos you need a raise to support your family or whatever…?

5

sarax,

No, I would not agree with that, especially in light of the given parable.

Priority.

Jobs come and go.

Friends come and go, but should always be enjoyed for the time they share.

Family, is forever. It is the one thing that you can leave, or that can leave you, that is never gone.

Coffee is time well spent sharing.

6

Hello F(r)iends,

Do we just accept that everyone has the exact same sized mayonnaise jar?

For the record, I shaped my own jar.
Free will, baby.

-Thirst

7

LOL.

(Mastriani reaches down and pulls out his jar … hmmmmmm)

Damn it, thirst4freedom does have a bigger jar!!!

Life is unfair, jar and all.

LOL.

8

Hehe, I knew this. On my side of the Atlantic, however, we use beer instead of coffee…

9

Guys, guys, it’s not the size of your jar… it’s the motion in the mayo.

looks at the women R-Right? Size doesn’t matter?.. I wanna hear you say it!!

10

Hands down, best poster … EVER … LMAO.

LOL.

LMAO.

LOL.

11

Size doesn’t matter, remember?

12

size doesn’t matter… much

13

That’s not what they tell me :slight_smile:

14

Well, have been known to lie. I am much more concerned about index fingers myself. :laughing: :laughing:

15

Oh hell yes size matters! I like golf balls not pebbles, golf balls are easier to handle and you can do more things with them . And as far as Jars go short skinny ones can’t really hold golf balls now can they? A long wide one can do better.

16

Okay, so then, say a poster here at ILP, hypothetically speaking, had a jar that would remind one, in size, of a naked mole rate standing on a glacier, in the middle of an arctic winter, wearing an ice cream jockstrap?

Is that a positive or a negative on the size of the jar issue?

Anyone?

Anyone?

17

what flavor?

18

Well obviously Kriswest, we have to be PC, so let’s go with Neopolitan, or for non-dairy people … Rainbow sherbert?

19

Oh well since you are going with Neopolitan, then it has to be positive.
You see you have not just 3 flavors but,3 colors. And to mention the fact that naked mole on the glacier with its multiflavored and colored icecream J strap, being the only one of its kind, has got to be the biggest there is. So yes , it is positive on the size of the jar.

20

hmmm not really a fan of either flavour…
but as long as you are happy and comfortable with your erm… jar… and as long as you knwo how to use it well… erm i’m sure its fine

and erm kriswest, i’m not convinced that mastriani wants a long wide jar so that people can shove… erm golf balls into it??

:laughing: