A young Naval Officer was in a terrible car accident. Thanks to the heroics of the hospital staff, he survived with only one lasting injury: the loss of one ear. It didn’t slow him down. He stayed sharp, professional, and determined. A year later, fully recovered and still in service, he was promoted and tasked with interviewing new candidates for a special intelligence unit.
On the day of interviews, three bright-eyed young sailors came in, one after the other.
The first candidate sat down confidently. The officer looked him over and asked a few standard questions. Then he leaned back and said, “Tell me what you notice about me. Anything stand out?”
The young man hesitated, then nervously blurted out, “Well, sir… you only have one ear.”
The officer’s face froze. “That’s very observant,” he said flatly. “And extremely rude. We value discretion and tact in this unit. Thank you. That’ll be all.”
Shaken, the candidate left. The officer grumbled under his breath, “One ear and no sense of manners.”
The second candidate came in. Again, a few questions, and again the officer asked, “What do you notice about me?”
This one, clearly trying to be clever, said, “Sir, you’re wearing an expensive watch. Very sharp. I also noticed that your voice carries authority.”
The officer smiled slightly. “Anything else?”
The candidate paused and finally admitted, “Okay, I noticed… you’re missing an ear, sir.”
“OUT!” the officer barked. “Disqualified! Same as the last guy. We’re training intelligence officers, not comedians.”
The third candidate came in. He was calm, composed, and polite. The officer repeated the process and finally asked, “So, what do you observe about me?”
The candidate sat up straight and replied, “Sir, you’re wearing contact lenses.”
Surprised, the officer raised an eyebrow. “That’s… correct. I do. But how could you possibly know that?”
The candidate grinned, “Well sir, you clearly can’t wear glasses—you don’t have an ear to put them on.”
The officer burst out laughing. “Congratulations. You’re hired. That’s the sharp thinking we need!”
