A Frenchman once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"
The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."
The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...
So true,
Its always great to excel just for yourself.. not bcos someone else wants you 2... And not to measure ur excellence by the way others see it but the way it has changed/ added to you as a person
So its so perfectly ok not to know something very basic and to ask rather than think what xyz will think and not knowing it at all.. :)
I wanted to write more.. but am in a cafe and completely uncomfi with the system... Hope to write back soon..
The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."
The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...
So true,
Its always great to excel just for yourself.. not bcos someone else wants you 2... And not to measure ur excellence by the way others see it but the way it has changed/ added to you as a person
So its so perfectly ok not to know something very basic and to ask rather than think what xyz will think and not knowing it at all.. :)
I wanted to write more.. but am in a cafe and completely uncomfi with the system... Hope to write back soon..
An excellent story you shared...
ReplyDeleteAt this point in my life, I need to read more of such stuff :)
@ All Talk and No Action
ReplyDeleteWe all need such stuff and motivating people like you :)
First Time Here.. Interesting Story...there may be multiple ways to look at it though. As an engineer, I look at the acceptable purity or minimum requirements. Artists/sculptors are known to over obsess. He led to waste of material and time. I think pragmatism is important in today's world too. Thats just my way of looking at that example and not life in general. Dont know if you think otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAnyway , nice blog overall :)
@ Zubin...
ReplyDeleteNice perspective :) but the underlying i feel in this story is we are answerable to ourselves more than anyone else... and we should define excellence in our terms and not according to what some other person feels :)
Glad you liked my blog :)