During a trip to the countryside, Poisson and his father stopped at a small farm by the road to buy milk. They wanted to buy exactly six liters, but a problem appeared immediately. The two of them only had one eight liter container, while the farmer had a twelve liter jug completely full of milk and a five liter jug. No measuring tools were available. The question was simple but tricky: how could they divide the twelve liters of milk into two equal parts using only a five liter jug and an eight liter jug?
At that time, Poisson was only seven years old, but he carefully observed the situation. He began pouring milk back and forth between the jugs, thinking step by step. After seven careful transfers, he successfully separated the milk into two equal portions of six liters each. The adults were surprised. Through this small everyday problem, Poisson showed clear logical thinking and strong mathematical intuition. From that moment, his father realized that his son had a special talent for mathematics.
As Poisson grew up, his passion for math became even stronger. While staying in his hometown, he spent many hours solving problems, not because he was forced to, but because he truly enjoyed it. One day, while visiting Fontainebleau, he met an old friend who was struggling with several difficult math problems. The friend had worked on them all day without success. Poisson calmly sat down and, within just one hour, solved more than a dozen problems that had completely blocked the other man. His solutions were clear, logical, and confident.
Later, Poisson took part in a mathematics competition for outstanding students in Paris, where he was examined by the famous astronomer Laplace. Laplace asked him many difficult and unexpected questions, but Poisson answered every one without hesitation. He never appeared nervous or confused. Deeply impressed, Laplace declared that Poisson was a true genius, someone who could not be surprised by even the hardest problems.
When Laplace asked about his method, Poisson gave a humble and insightful answer. He explained that when solving math problems, he often changed the conditions, turned them around, and imagined the most complicated situations possible. By doing this regularly, he trained his mind to stay flexible and prepared. That is why difficult questions no longer felt unfamiliar or frightening to him. The story clearly shows that true intelligence grows from curiosity, practice, and smart learning habits, not just natural ability.