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George Dantzig was late for his university math class. He rushed to his seat and copied down the two homework questions already written on the board. Dantzig found the questions were harder than other assignments and handed in the solutions several days later. Almost six weeks later the professor told him the questions were not for homework. The questions were two famous unsolved problems in statistics. The professor also informed Dantzig his solutions were correct.
What would have happened if Dantzig was told the questions were unsolved? How would he have reacted if he knew experts and professional were unable to find the correct solution? There are many examples of this phenomena throughout history where focus and insight converge together to produce profound results. I think the example of Dantzig provides a fascinating insight into the unknown capabilities of the human mind and how we perceive limitations.
This is a great example of how we can sometimes achieve things that we didn't think were possible. It also highlights the importance of avoiding limitations when trying to innovate or develop a solution. Had he known the problems were unsolved, Dantzig may have been discouraged and not attempted to solve them. However, he was able to approach them with a fresh perspective and find the correct solution.
This story highlights the importance of not placing too many restrictions on ourselves. If we become constrained by a fixed mindset, we will likely never achieve anything beyond our current limitations. However, if we have faith in our abilities and approach problems with a growth mindset, we may be surprised at what we can achieve. On numerous occasions I have told this story to students to reinforce critical thinking and deep questioning. More importantly, this story encourages learners to adopt a questioning mindset and go beyond the surface to find a solution.