history, and he could explain with utter confidence how to do
it. But his explanation did not match his actions, just as Mary’s
explanation for what she wanted in a man did not necessarily
match who she was attracted to in the moment. We have, as
human beings, a storytelling problem. We’re a bit too quick to
come up with explanations for things we don’t really have an
explanation for.
Many years ago, the psychologist Norman R. F. Maier hung
two long ropes from the ceiling of a room that was filled with
all kinds of different tools, objects, and furniture. The ropes
were far enough apart that if you held the end of one rope, you
couldn’t get close enough to grab hold of the other rope.
Everyone who came into the room was asked the same
question: How many different ways can you come up with for
tying the ends of those two ropes together? There are four
possible solutions to this problem. One is to stretch one rope as
far as possible toward the other, anchor it to an object, such as
a chair, and then go and get the second rope. Another is to take
a third length, such as an extension cord, and tie it to the end of
one of the ropes so that it will be long enough to reach the
other rope. A third strategy is to grab one rope in one hand and
use an implement, such as a long pole, to pull the other rope