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Writer's pictureCharlie Brown

Thou Shall Not Steal

Updated: Jun 26, 2023



A middle aged man approached an older man with a smile, and asked him:

"Do you remember me?" Unable to remember, the younger man told him: I'm one of your former students and I wanted you to know I have been a teacher myself. And it was you who inspired me!"

Curious, the old teacher asked "Could you refresh my memory? When was it you also decided to teach?"


The younger man then shared a personal story: "When I was a student in your class, I stole a watch from another classmate, who reported it to you. You stood up in front of the class and asked whoever had taken the watch to return it! Nobody spoke up.


Then you asked everyone to stand in a circle and close their eyes as you went around and searched our pockets. You eventually found the watch but chose not to reveal the identity of the thief to the class. I felt ashamed, but was grateful that you had taught me a valuable lesson without humiliating me."


Although not remembering the young man's identity, the teacher recalled the incident with the stolen watch and how he had chosen to correct the behavior without shaming the student.


The younger man thanked his former teacher again, for never exposing him as the thief.


And his former teacher replied:

"I never knew it was you. I had my eyes closed too."


This story exemplifies the true essence of teaching:
Correct without Humiliation. (As in the classroom or in life)




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