The name

⏱️ Reading time: 2 min.

In the Faculty of Medicine at a major university, the professor of anatomy distributed a questionnaire to all students as a final exam.
One student who had prepared meticulously answered all the questions promptly until he came to the last one.
The question was: “What is the first name of the cleaning lady?”
The student handed in the test, leaving the last answer blank.
Before handing in the paper, he asked the professor if the last question on the test would count towards the grade.
“It is clear!” replied the professor. “In your career you will meet many people. They all have their own degree of importance. They deserve your attention, even with a small smile or a simple hello.”
The student never forgot the lesson and learned that the cleaning lady’s first name was Marianne.


A disciple asked Confucius, “If the king asked you to rule the country, what would be your first action?”
“I would like to learn the names of all my collaborators.”
“What nonsense! It is certainly not a matter of primary concern for a prime minister.”
“A man cannot hope to receive help from what he does not know,” replied Confucius. “If he does not know nature, he will not know God. Similarly, if he does not know who he has by his side, he will have no friends. Without friends, he will not be able to devise a plan. Without a plan, he will not be able to direct anyone’s actions. Without direction, the country will plunge into darkness and even the dancers will no longer know how to put one foot next to the other. Thus a seemingly trivial action, learning the name of the person next to you, can make a huge difference.
The incorrigible sin of our time is that everyone wants to put things right immediately and forgets that they need others to do this.”