You are unique, and no one is average

In 1952, the U.S. Air Force had very good pilots and very good aircraft, but they did not have very good flight results. After many studies, they found that the reason was that each pilot was different in shape, but the cabin size was designed in an average size. The pilot may not be able to operate various buttons and switches freely at critical moment, and the flight effectiveness is therefore not as good as expected. The way to solve this problem is to ask the manufacturer to design the cabin not according to an average body shape. In the beginning, the manufacturers refused to do so, they use all kinds of excuses to avoid it. But the Air Force insisted their ideas, in the end the manufacturers agreed to re-manufacture the cabin seat. And it turned out the cost is not as expensive as expected, even then invented an adjustable cabin chair, which now you can see everywhere in the car or in the plane.

Although we can't sit in a fighter jet worth hundreds of millions of dollars, however, each of us sits in the desks and chairs on the campus, receiving education in the same way.

This example emphasizes that the average and equal division method is not applicable to education. Everyone's body curve and learning curve are different. The tallest height does not mean you are the heaviest, and the slowest learner does not mean you are the dumbest. However, our education is taught under such an equality method. We use average scores to see a person's performance, we use average progress to determine the progress of the course, and we use average physical fitness to regulate the effectiveness of sports.

By now, we can understand that as a parent or a teacher, we need to understand each person’s strengths and weaknesses, try to use different teaching methods or teaching situations to find out the characteristics of each person, instead of rushing denying students also allows students to deny themselves. Because there is more than one way to learn, and there is also more than one path in life. The point is whether you are enjoying learning and enjoying life.

This concept applies to many laws in our lives. Take yoga as an example. We often see people use asanas to determine a person’s yoga performance. However, yoga is a journey because each of us has different body structures. The wealth of the body that each accumulated in the past is different (you may sit more or you may jog more), and the way of using the body is also different.

The alignment and guidance are general rules, but it is not a universal rule. Therefore, learning yoga is to learn to know yourself, to know your body, to recognize your strengths or weaknesses, to try to find your own learning methods and learning situations, because each of us is unique, and there is more than one way to the journey of yoga, the journey of life.

This world does not need more people who can carry their feet behind their heads or bend their bodies to amazing shapes. What it needs is people who understand themselves better, are happier to live in the moment, and would be able to help others!

If we can understand that each of us is unique, only through constant practices and constant failures, then to stand up again, we can have the opportunity to know ourselves better and understand what kind of state of mind we should adopt during this journey.

Because you are unique, and no one is average!

graphic design using Snappa

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在1952年，美國空軍有很好的飛行員，很好的飛機，但卻沒有很好的飛行成效，在多方研究後，他們發現原因是因為每個飛行員的體型不一，但是駕駛座艙卻採用平均體型來設計，所以在關鍵時刻，飛行員並不一定可以自如地操作各種按鍵與開關，飛行成效因此不如預期。解決這個問題的方法在於，請打造戰機的廠商，設計不要採用平均體型的方式來設計座艙。剛開始廠商當然百般不願意，用盡各種方式推託，但空軍部隊非常堅持，不與讓步，於是廠商只能摸摸鼻子重新製造，但沒想到最後克服了困難，成本也沒想像中昂貴，甚至進而發明了可調整式座艙椅。雖然我們沒有辦法坐在價值好幾億的戰鬥機裡，但其實我們每個人都坐在校園裡的課桌椅裡，以一樣的方式接受著教育。

這個比喻強調的是，平均，均分法是不適用在教育上的。每個人的身體曲線和學習曲線都不一樣，身高最高不代表你最重，學習最緩慢不代表你最笨。可是偏偏我們的教育都在這樣的均分法下教學，我們用平均分數來看一個人的表現，我們用平均進度來決定課程的緩慢，我們用平均體能來規範運動成效。

看到這裡，我們可以了解身為一個父母或者是老師是需要針對每個人的不同去了解他們的長處與短處，試著運用不同的教學方式或教學情境來找出每個人的特色，而非急於否定學生也讓學生否定自我。因為學習的方法不只一種，人生的道理也不只一條，重點是有沒有樂在學習，樂在人生！

這樣的觀念適用在我們人生中的許多法則，就拿瑜伽來說，我們常常看到大眾用體位法來判定一個人的瑜伽表現與瑜伽成效，然而瑜伽是一個旅程，因為我們每個人的身體結構不同，過去身體累積的財富不同，運用身體的方式也不同，口令是一個通則，但卻不是一個統則！也因此學習瑜伽就是學習認識自己，認識自己的身體，認識自己的長處或短處，試著找到自己的學習方式與學習情境，因為我們每一個人都是獨一無二，而通往人生開悟的道路不只一條，重點是在於有無樂在學習，樂在人生！

這個世界上不需要更多腳可以背在頭上，或者是將自己的身體彎曲到驚人部位的人，它需要的是更了解自己，更樂在當下，更能幫助他人的人！

如果我們可以明白，我們每一個人都是獨一無二，唯有透過不斷地嘗試，不斷地從失敗中再次站起來，我們才有機會可以更認識自己，更明白在這個旅程上，該採取什麼樣的心境，來經歷這獨一無二的旅程！希望可以透過我這個淺薄的心得與故事，來勉勵自己，父母，老師以及學生們！

Because you are unique, and no one is average!