Bible passage: Jeremiah 29:10-13
“10. This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. "
There is a psychological term called the “flea effect.” This refers to unconsciously setting goals and setting limits to one's abilities, creating a limiting situation for oneself. Fleas are very small bugs but they have an extremely high jumping ability. Although this is a low height when compared to humans, fleas can jump a height that is more than 100 times their own size. It's like a human being able to jump 150 to 180 meters, which means the height of one floor of a building is about 2.6 meters, so you can jump almost 60 stories or higher.
Isn't it amazing to think about a 60-story building? But why did the saying that even if fleas jump, it’s no use? A biologist experimented with fleas. He placed fleas in a 1m deep bottle, closed the lid, and observed them jumping. The flea tried to jump out of the bottle, but its head hit the lid every time. After some time had passed, the biologist opened the bottle lid. He thought the fleas would jump out when the lid was opened, but surprisingly, the fleas did not escape. Although the flea has sufficient jumping ability, it is the result of having failed several attempts and thinking, “I am a flea that cannot jump high,” and setting limits for itself.
Andiko la Biblia: Yeremia 29:10–13
“10. Kwa maana BWANA asema hivi: Baada ya miaka sabini ya Babeli kutimia, nitawajilia ninyi na kutimiza ahadi yangu njema ya kuwarudisha mahali hapa. 11. Maana nayajua mawazo ninayowawazia ninyi, asema BWANA, ni mawazo ya amani wala si ya mabaya, kuwapa ninyi tumaini siku zenu za mwisho. 12. Ndipo mtakaponiita, mtakwenda na kuniomba, nami nitawasikiliza. 13. Nanyi mtanitafuta na kuniona, mtakaponitafuta kwa moyo wenu wote.”
Kuna dhana ya kisaikolojia inayoitwa “athari ya kiroboto.” Inamaanisha mtu kuweka malengo na mipaka ya uwezo wake bila kujua, na hivyo kujizuia mwenyewe. Viroboto ni wadudu wadogo sana, lakini wana uwezo mkubwa mno wa kuruka. Ingawa huruka umbali mfupi tukiwalinganisha na wanadamu, wanaweza kuruka zaidi ya mara 100 ya urefu wa miili yao. Kwa mwanadamu, hilo lingekuwa sawa na kuruka mita 150 hadi 180. Kwa kuwa ghorofa moja ya jengo huwa na urefu wa takriban mita 2.6, ni kama kuruka ghorofa 60 au zaidi.
Je, si jambo la kushangaza kufikiria jengo la ghorofa 60? Lakini kwa nini watu husema kwamba hata viroboto wakiruka, hakuna faida? Mwanabiolojia mmoja alifanya jaribio kwa viroboto. Aliwaweka ndani ya chupa yenye kina cha mita moja, akaifunika kwa kifuniko, kisha akawatazama wakiruka. Kila mara kiroboto kilipojaribu kuruka kutoka ndani ya chupa, kichwa chake kiligonga kifuniko. Baada ya muda, mwanabiolojia akakifungua kifuniko. Alidhani viroboto vingeruka na kutoka, lakini kwa mshangao wake havikutoroka. Ingawa kiroboto kina uwezo wa kutosha wa kuruka, kilikuwa kimeshindwa mara kadhaa na kuanza kufikiri, “Mimi ni kiroboto kisichoweza kuruka juu,” hivyo kikajiwekea mipaka.