It was an ordinary day in the life of a graduate student—filled with lectures, assignments, and the ceaseless grind of academia.
For George Dantzig, a mathematics student at the University of California, Berkeley, this particular day held an unexpected twist.
Rushing into his classroom late, George barely caught the end of his professor’s lecture.
On the blackboard were two mathematical problems, scrawled in chalk.
Dantzig assumed they were the homework assignment for the day.
Scribbling them into his notebook, he made a mental note to tackle them later.
As he sat down to work on the problems, George noticed something strange:
These weren’t ordinary homework questions.
The equations were far more challenging than anything he had encountered before.
Still, he pressed on, believing they were simply tough assignments meant to stretch his skills.
Over the next few days, George wrestled with the problems.
He struggled, doubted himself, but refused to quit.
Finally, after a marathon of effort, he arrived at solutions for both.
He handed in his homework late, sheepishly apologizing to his professor for the delay.
Weeks passed, and George thought little of it—until one day, his professor came to find him, brimming with excitement.
The professor revealed that the problems George had solved weren’t homework at all.
They were two of the most famous unsolved problems in mathematics.
No one—not even seasoned mathematicians—had been able to crack them.
George was stunned.
He hadn’t known the problems were considered impossible.
Because he believed they were merely homework, he approached them with determination and a sense of inevitability.
That belief—grounded in ignorance but fueled by persistence—had unlocked solutions where others had only seen dead ends.
The story of George Dantzig underscores the extraordinary power of belief.
Sometimes, our greatest limitations come not from our actual abilities, but from the narratives we accept about what’s possible.
George’s ignorance of the problems’ infamous reputations shielded him from self-doubt.
He didn’t waste time wondering if he was smart enough—he simply got to work.
Psychologists often refer to this phenomenon as the "self-fulfilling prophecy."
When we believe something is within our reach, our actions align with that belief.
We approach challenges with curiosity and persistence, unconsciously opening doors to solutions we might otherwise overlook.
George Dantzig’s story is a testament to the fact that sometimes, the only thing standing between us and the "impossible" is our perception of what’s achievable.
By believing in ourselves—or, in George’s case, by not knowing enough to doubt ourselves—we can accomplish more than we ever thought possible.
The next time you’re faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge, remember: it might just be homework.
This post was inspired by Charles Duhigg's interview with Katy Milkman.
