The Path to Truth

In the charming town of Freiberg, Austria, nestled between rolling hills and cobblestone streets, lived Lukas, a young apprentice clockmaker. He worked under Herr Kaufmann, a renowned master craftsman whose intricate timepieces adorned the finest homes in Vienna.

Lukas dreamed of creating a perfect clock, one so precise that it would never lose a second. One day, Herr Kaufmann gave him a challenge. “Design your own clock from scratch,” he said, handing Lukas a set of tools. “You’ll only master the craft through practice.”

For weeks, Lukas worked tirelessly. His first clock ticked too fast, his second ticked too slow, and his third refused to tick at all. Frustrated, he sighed, “Maybe I’m not meant for this.”

Herr Kaufmann, who had been watching, placed a hand on his shoulder. “Come, walk with me.”

They strolled through the marketplace, where a baker kneaded dough. “Do you think his first loaf was perfect?” Herr Kaufmann asked.

At a painter’s studio, an artist wiped away a mistake on his canvas. “Does he give up after one wrong stroke?”

Lukas began to understand.

Back at the workshop, he examined his failures. What went wrong? How could he fix it? He adjusted the gears, tested new springs, and refined the mechanism—error after error, learning each time.

Months later, his final creation stood on the workbench: a beautifully crafted clock, ticking in perfect harmony.

Herr Kaufmann smiled. “Now you see, Lukas—from error to error, one discovers the entire truth.”