Softness paradox

Ever tried to listen to a clavichord recital? At first it's unbearably soft, it seems that you can't hear anything. But after about 15 minutes the sound seems to grow, filling an entire concert hall.

The same is with speaking softly in class. The students don't listen to you but if you continue to resist the temptation to raise your voice, they have no choice but to adapt.

The stress is on resisting the temptation because we feel that there is no way they are going to pay attention. And so we panic and start yelling.

And yet it's quite logical - if we're brave enough to do the opposite of what they expect - to run at the dog, to lean into the problem, to smile at the opponent, to say "thank you" to the critic, to keep a bigger picture in mind when facing double syncopations in the left hand part - the challenge fades away.

When we silence the noise inside our heads (without the help of TV), we notice some tremendous opportunities around us.