Outside the Books: The Staircase Paradox Pt. 1
This week, we'll talk about the Staircase Paradox, about whether you should hold on to your beliefs and values.
The Staircase Paradox
There once was a monk who was going back home to his monastery on a tall mountain. and had to climb 500 steps (equivalent to 50 floors). He carried a heavy backpack.
By the 250th step, the monk was exhausted. He sat down gasping for air. When he was done resting, he thought about how effortless it would be if he left his backpack here to retrieve it later when he gets help from other monks in the monastery.
The monk decided to leave his backpack here and sprinted through the remaining 250 steps.
Approaching the main gate of the monastery, the monk searched through his pockets to find the key, only to realise he left it in his backpack.
He desperately knocked on the gate, hoping other monks would open it for him, but to no avail.
Here, the backpack symbolises your core values. When facing adversity, it may seem like abandoning your values temporarily would propel you to the future you desire faster with less effort.
But here's where the paradox comes in, the key to achieve that desired future lies within your values. There is no way to achieve the future you want through abandoning the foundation of it.
Abandoning your core values will only result in a worse future.
Think about this:
1. Have you ever abandoned your values (honesty, loyalty) in exchange for temporary progress or relief?
2. Did you really feel content with the result after that?
3. Has it really made you a step closer to the honest and loyal person you vowed to become?
Member discussion