Carpenters

The following parable is attributed to Master Ed Parker of Kenpo Karate.

A young carpenter with a few years experience in construction went to work for a new company to increase his knowledge and carpentry skills. The young carpenter’s hammering technique had been admired by carpenters at his old job but the new supervisor told him his methods of pounding nails by striking them straight on while gripping the end of the hammer was flawed. The supervisor said that, while he held the hammer correctly, he should be striking the nails with a circular motion rather than hitting them straight on. Wanting to please the well-known supervisor, the young carpenter changed his hammering method to please the supervisor and found the new way just as effective as his old way.

After a few years, the young carpenter went to work for a bigger company. The new supervisor immediately told the young carpenter that his method of pounding nails in a circular motion was all wrong. The supervisor told him to hold the hammer at the top of the handle and to strike the hammerhead straight down onto the nail. Wanting to please the older, more experienced supervisor, the young carpenter again changed his way of hammering and found the new way just as effective as the other two ways he had used.

The moral of this parable is not that each method of hammering was correct, but that each method was the appropriate choice under the given circumstances. The question is not whether circular motion is superior to linear motion or whether all methods are equally valid; it is a question of which method is most appropriate for the situation at hand. The young carpenter knew that under each set of circumstances, the best technique to use was the one that got the job done and pleased the supervisor.

A second moral is represented by the attitudes of the two supervisors in contrast to the attitude of the young carpenter. The attitudes of the supervisors could be considered rigid and close-minded. Rather than embracing the young carpenter’s ability to satisfactorily perform a task in a unique manner and taking the opportunity to absorb such knowledge, each of the foremen, being stuck in their own paradigm of what was correct, forced the young carpenter to conform to their methods, thereby losing the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience. In contrast, the young carpenter remained flexible and open-minded, and was able to adapt and succeed in each circumstance.

Unfortunately, many instructors have attitudes similar to those of the supervisors. They think their style or curriculum is superior to all others. Such close-mindedness hampers their growth and the growth and potential of their students. Even though most instructors pride themselves on being adaptive and progressive, many may display much obstinacy and stagnation.

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