Question: I finally met my favorite author whom I’ve worshipped from afar for 20 years, and she was a complete asshole. I’m crushed! How can I read her books now?
Answer:
Sometimes great books are written by assholes. And sometimes, assholes write great books. The books are still as good as ever, so stick with what’s working. And from now on, only buy her books used or borrow them from the library. Getting too close to greatness can be hazardous to your health.
Question: My neighbor keeps calling me and texting me in the middle of the night that he’s locked himself out. I finally got tired of letting him in and told him that he needed professional help. Now he’s left town and expects me to look after his pets, but instead of asking me upfront he just left a key over the doorframe with a note “Hey, if you don’t take care of my cats, they’ll die a horrible slow death of hunger and thirst, but no pressure.”
Answer:
You are correct, it’s a setup. This is the game called “Holding the Bag” or “Hot Potato”, essentially an exercise in Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) where both players fault out. Why someone would want to play this is probably best left to the psychologists. It’s actually a form of blackmail, except without the cash profits. DO NOT pick up that key. It’s like picking up the monkey’s paw: once you do, a deadly curse falls on you.
Art Before Science 