Perception


. . . Something To Think About . . .




THE SITUATION




In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January
morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45
minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the
station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a
middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his
pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his
schedule.


About 4 minutes later:


The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money
in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.


At 6 minutes:


A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then
looked at his watch and started to walk again.


At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along
hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother
pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole
time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent
- without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.


At 45 minutes:


The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and
listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at
their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.


After 1 hour:


He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and
no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.




No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of
the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate
pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days
before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged
$100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.


This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the
D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a
social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate
hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?


One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be
this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the
best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written,
with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .


How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?