How Heavy Is This Glass of Water?
A psychologist walks into a room full of students and asks a simple question: ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’ The answer might surprise you…
A psychologist was teaching a group about stress management. As she walked around the room, she picked up a glass of water. Everyone expected her to ask the classic “half empty or half full” question. But instead, she smiled and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”
People called out answers ranging from 8 ounces to 20 ounces.
She nodded and said, “The exact weight doesn’t really matter. What matters is how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, no problem. If I hold it for an hour, my arm will start to ache. If I hold it all day, my arm will go numb and feel paralyzed. In every case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change — but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels.”
She paused before adding, “The stresses and worries in life are just like this glass of water. If you think about them for a little while, nothing much happens. Think about them longer, and they start to hurt. And if you dwell on them all day, you’ll feel completely paralyzed — unable to do anything.”
