How much we do not see in this world?

in #people8 years ago

A man stood on the subway station in Washington DC and started to play the violin, it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During this time, since it was rush hour, we estimate that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on the way to work.


Three minutes passed, and the middle-aged man noticed the musician. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried on business


A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the briefcase and left without stopping.


A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but looking at his watch fled. Most likely, he was late for work.


Anyone who has paid the most attention - was 3-year-old boy. But his mother dragged him along, as well behaved and several other children. But the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.


For 45 minutes until the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, he collected $ 32, but continued to walk their normal pace.

When the musician finished playing, no one noticed. No one applauded, there was no recognition.


No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most difficult parts ever written, on a violin worth $ 3.5 million.


Two days before Joshua Bell playing in the subway all the tickets to his concerts were sold out a theater in Boston where the cost of one place composes an average of $ 100.


The project "Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station" was organized by the newspaper Washington Post, as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.

The task experiment was as follows:

In a normal environment, at an inappropriate hour, can we perceive beauty.

How we react and what to do to understand this? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?


One of the possible conclusions from this experiment could be:


If we do not find a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world who plays the best music ever written, how many important things we can not see in this life?