Think about this.

>  
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> PERCEPTION 
> ..something  to think about...
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> Washington,  DC Metro  Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The  man
> with a violin  played six Bach pieces for about 45  minutes. During that
> time  approx. 2 thousand people went  through the station, most of them  on
> their way to work.  After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed  there was a 
> musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for  a  few seconds and then
> hurried to meet his  schedule.
>
> 4  minutes later:
> the  violinist received his  first dollar: a woman threw the  money in the
> hat and, without  stopping, continued to  walk.. 
>
> 6  minutes:
> A  young  man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then  looked at his
>  watch and started to walk  again. 
>
> 10  minutes:
> A  3-year old boy stopped  but his mother tugged him along  hurriedly. The
> kid stopped to  look at the violinist  again, but the mother pushed hard and
> the  child  continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This  action
> was repeated by several other children. Every  parent, without exception,
> forced their children to move  on quickly.
>
>
> 45  minutes:
> The musician  played continuously.  Only  6 people stopped and  listened
> for a short while. About 20 gave  money but  continued to walk at their normal
> pace.  The man  collected a total of $32.
>
> 1  hour:
> He  finished playing and silence took  over. No one noticed.  No one
> applauded, nor was there any  recognition.
>
> No  one  knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of  the 
> greatest musicians in the world. He played one of  the most  intricate pieces ever
> written, with a violin  worth $3.5 million  dollars. Two days before Joshua
> Bell  sold out a theatre in  Boston where  the seats averaged $100.
>
> This  is a true story.  Joshua Bell playing incognito in the  metro station
> was organized  by the Washington Post as  part of a social experiment about
>  perception,  taste and people's priorities. The questions  raised:  in a
> common place environment at an inappropriate hour,  do we perceive beauty? Do
> we stop to appreciate it? Do  we  recognize talent in an unexpected 
> context?
>
> One  possible conclusion reached  from this experiment could be this:  If
> we do not  have a moment to stop and listen to one of  the best  musicians in
> the world, playing some of the finest  music  ever written, with one of the
> most beautiful instruments  ever made.... How many other things are we 
> missing? 
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