Subtle

(Here is the story I told BK.)

I asked the students, “How many students do you think have examined this patient before you come?”

As a rule, each and every one of them was startled. After a while, they said four, five, or whatever.

I asked again, “In that case, why do you think there is no used cotton wool balls or toothpicks on the table?”

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BK smiled, but I was serious, “You know, they all look vacant. I thought it over during the coffee break and believed I might not be expressing myself clearly. As a result, I decided to try another way of reminding them.”

“What did you say this time?”

“I asked the students: Who do you think is responsible for disposing the used cotton wool balls and toothpicks?”

“Well, does that help?”

“Sort of. Half of them did understand. For the others, I was forced to the conclusion that either I still had not expressed myself clearly, or they had never cleaned up their own desk in their life!”