Bridge guard, revisited
from Derek Sivers podcast
I want to make sure the point of the “Bridge guard” story came across. The king said, “It’s too salty.” Did he actually think it’s too salty? Who knows? Maybe he doesn’t want to admit that he’s tired or sick. Maybe he’s testing the chef’s confidence. Just because someone says something doesn’t mean it’s true. The woman in the box is pushing and pounding. But we shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that she’s “trapped, can’t get out, trying everything, and nothing is working”. That’s the kind of self-defeating belief we’re surrounded with in everyday life. The girl put these two examples together, and got the message that the guard isn’t actually blocking the bridge. Just because he says “no one can cross” doesn’t mean it’s true. That’s what this part of the book was about. Distrust limitations. Strip away interpretations to see the few actual facts. We’re held back not by raw facts, but by the meanings we give them.
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