Come with me on a thought exercise. I have something to say to a few people here - I intend to say it to all of them using allegory.
You're walking along a road when suddenly you fall down. In most circumstances it would be a simple case of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and continuing the journey. Sure you might be a little bit dusty and dirty and it might even hurt a bit, but you're able to go on fairly well.
Now suppose you're walking along and trying to be careful where you're walking. Because you're looking down at your feet, you walk headlong into a lamppost. Again it hurts (quite a bit more than simply falling over) but no real damage is done except for the loss of pride and you're able to go on. Sure you might feel a bit silly for walking into the lamppost but if you want to get to your destination, you get nowhere by standing still.
In part three you're walking along the pavement in a fog. You can't see what lies ahead but you can hear your friends further up the street so you head towards them. Because it's so foggy you don't happen to see a big hole in the road from where they're installing some new stormwater pipes and you fall in. It's a big hole and you can't climb out.
Unlike the first two scenarios, you can't actually do anything for yourself to get out. If you get up, you'll still be at the bottom of the hole. The phrase "lift yourself up by your bootstraps" is by all accounts useless, since no-one by any effort can lift themselves from their bootstraps even one inch into the air let alone out of a 6ft hole.
No, the only way to get out of the hole is to call out to your friends. Even if they do hear you and find you in the hole, the only way that they'll ever get you out is to give them your hands and let them pull you out.
Whatever the case, the people who could help you out of the hole certainly won't help you unless you ask them AND reach your hands out to them. You could remain silent and not cause a disturbance but you'd still be in the hole and that's just stupid isn't it?
If you are in a hole, call out. It's not silly to ask for help but it is stupid to be stuck in a hole if other people could help you out.
Here ends the allegory.
Are you still stuck in the hole?
3 comments:
i can't do everything by myself. maybe i should ask for help.
You can climb out of a 6ft hole, most people's hands reach that height and you can pull yourself out. The hole should be 7-8 feet deep, then you probably wouldn't get out by yourself.
Plus, if you walk in fog and don't see that hole then you are not aware of it and the 6 feet drop can be a little painful.
I think I understand. There's a lot of wisdom in that bizarre little head of yours isn't there?
Post a Comment