你將跳蚤放進(jìn)一個帶蓋的罐子里。它們在里面跳的時候會一次又一次撞到蓋子。當(dāng)你觀察它們跳躍并且撞到蓋子的時候,你會發(fā)現(xiàn)一件有趣的事情,跳蚤會繼續(xù)跳,但是它們不再跳到能撞到蓋子的那個高度。然后, 當(dāng)你拿下蓋子的時候,盡管它們?nèi)栽谔?,但是它們不會跳出罐子。我重?fù)一遍,它們跳不出去是因?yàn)樗鼈冏霾坏健T蚝芎唵?,它們限制自己只能跳這么高。一旦它們限制自己只能跳這么高,那么這也就是它們能力的極限了。
You train fleas by potting them in a jar with a top on it. Fleas jump, so they will jump up and hit the top over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the top, you will notice something interesting. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top. Then, and it’s a matter of record, you can take the top off and though the fleas continue to jump, they won’t jump out of the jar. I repeat, they won’t jump out because they can’t. The reason is simple. They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high, that’s all they can do.
很多時候人們也是一樣。他們自己限制自己,從來不去開發(fā)自己的潛力。就像跳蚤一樣,它們沒有能夠跳的更高,還以為自己把自己的能力發(fā)揮到了極限。
Many times, people do the same thing. They restrict themselves and never reach their potential. Just like the fleas, they fail to jump higher, thinking they are doing all they can do.