Musings | The Potential in All of Us
“We meet no ordinary people in our lives. But, if you give them a chance, everyone has something amazing to offer.”
Thomas Edison was one of the greatest inventors and innovators of all time. He invented the first incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, founded General Electric, and held over 1000 patents. His work and ingenuity changed the world and had a significant influence on the industrial revolution. However, if it wasn’t for the unwavering belief of his mother, none of that may have happened.
There are a couple of accounts of why Edison did not attend public school. One version suggests that a case of Scarlet Fever and ear infections early in life resulted in him being nearly deaf. In addition, he was a hyperactive child, easily distracted, and deemed difficult by his teacher. For this reason, he only attended school for 12 weeks before being home-schooled by his mother (an accomplished schoolteacher). Another version suggests he was sent home with a note indicating that Thomas did not have the mental capacity to learn, so the school requested that he did not return to school and, as a result, he was home-schooled. In either case, his mother never told him there were limited expectations for his potential; she simply created opportunities for him to learn and fed his curiosity.
Thomas Edison’s potential was viewed as limited by those charged with helping him learn to find himself and his strengths. He did not know that others saw him as challenging and incapable of learning, and, as noted above, he went on to change the world. If the narrative in his head and around him had been different, so too might have been his life.
There are two reflections to take away from this story today:
Do you have a negative narrative running through your head? What is the story you are telling yourself about your potential? About what you are capable of?
What perspective do you take when looking at the potential of others? Do you write them off as tricky and incapable, or do you believe in the infinite possibility of human potential? That everyone has something unique to offer?
Before you are too hard on yourself, it is likely that in both scenarios, you are somewhere in the middle and, on any given day, can sway in one direction or the other. This is human nature. The stories in our heads vary from day to day. We tend to lean into the impossibility of what we can do versus believing in what is possible. Similarly, we’ve all written people off at times and, in other circumstances, seen infinite potential in others.
The above information and reflection questions aim to create awareness about the influence our beliefs have on our abilities and the abilities of others. The story of Thomas Edison and his early experiences with learning are excellent reminders of the power expectation and opportunity play in education and innovation.
Please watch this one-minute video that tells the story of Thomas Edison and his mom (his teacher) for a touching overview of his experience and life journey.
Resources & Sources
Additional information about Thomas Edison was sourced at Biography.com and Wikipedia.