The Tale of the Ship Engine: Why Knowing Where to Tap Matters More Than Effort

WHERE TO TAP

Ever heard the story of the giant ship engine that failed? The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure out how to fix the engine. Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

"What?!" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!"

So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemized bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer ........................ $ 2.00

Knowing where to tap ............................ $ 9998.00

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference.

Hi Anita,

Your story summarizes the experiences of many who work hard. However, they often forget that working at the right time and in the right place would yield them benefits. Instead of realizing this, they become frustrated and stop putting in effort.

So, the key is not just to work hard but to know when and where to work hard.

Nice story, Anita. Keep posting.

Ravi.

Hi Anita,

This is a very educating story. I have really seen people who work very hard, but at the end of the day, their hard work bears no results. I have sent this short story to all of those. Maybe after reading this, they may expect a sea change in their results.

Thanks a ton,
Rahul

It's true. Everybody should be a smart worker rather than a hard worker. But there are few situations where we have to do hard work. In the remaining situations, everybody should try to work smart.

Anita,

It's really a short story, but the moral has lots of meaning. Ravi, you have pointed out well, "the mantra is not to work hard, but knowing when and where to work hard." While working, everybody has to be proactive in knowing when and where to do so. There are many people who work very hard with full dedication but still don't get recognition, while those who work very little get recognition. We need to learn how to work smartly.

Thanks, Ankita

Hey Anita,

That was really an amazing story. It tells you the difference between working hard and working smart.

Regards,
Richa

Hi there!

The story is very valuable and serves as a lesson for those who believe in hard work. In today's era, hard work may not always pay off, but smart work coupled with intelligence can yield better results.