A professor at the university decided to conduct an experiment on human nature with his students. He came into the classroom carrying a large, empty jar, a bag of rocks, a bag of pebbles, and a bag of sand.
“Today,” said the professor, “we will talk about life’s priorities.”
He placed the jar on the table and began carefully placing the large rocks inside. When the jar was full, he asked, “Is this jar full?”
The students replied, “Yes!”
The professor smiled and began pouring the pebbles from the bag into the jar. The pebbles filled the spaces between the large rocks. He asked again: “Is it full now?”
This time, the students hesitated and said, “Yes, I think so!”
Finally, the professor took the bag of sand and poured the sand into the jar. The sand filled even the smallest spaces between the pebbles and rocks.
“And now?” asked the professor. “Is this jar full?”
The students looked surprised and shouted in unison, “Yes, it’s definitely full now!”
The professor chuckled. “You are mistaken. In fact, this jar is still empty.”
The students looked at each other, confused. “What do you mean, Professor?” one asked.
The professor pulled a cup of coffee from under his desk and began pouring it into the jar. The coffee filled the very last spaces between the sand.
“Do you see?” said the professor. “This jar could still hold coffee. It’s the same in life. No matter how full it seems, there’s always room for a cup of coffee.“