A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Arnav asked
him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one
apple, how many apples will you have?"Within a few
seconds Arnav replied confidently, "Four!"
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct
answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child
did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated,
"Arnav, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and
one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"
Arnav had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face.
He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he
was also searching for the answer that will make the
teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the
correct one, but the one that will make his teacher
happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four..."
The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She
remembered that Arnav liked strawberries. She thought
maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose
focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and
twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one
strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then
how many you will have?"
Seeing the teacher happy, young Arnav calculated on his
fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a
little on the teacher. She wanted her new approach to
succeed. With a hesitating smile young Arnav enquired,
"Three?"
The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had
succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one
last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I
give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how
many will you have?"
Promptly Arnav answered, "Four!"
The teacher was aghast. "How Arnav, how?" she demanded
in a little stern and irritated voice.
In a voice that was low and hesitating young Arnav
replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."
"Its so unfair to let our predetermined notion affect others."
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