The staircase and the elevator

This past week, the U.S. stock market illustrated for us what the difference was between a staircase an elevator.

Usually, stocks take a rather long time to build up in value, just like an arduous climbing of stairs, while they can also drop suddenly, as fast as a high-speed elevator in free-fall, when investors' confidence is eroded.

That analogy has been used many times during the last stock market “correction” which was induced by a bunch of nefarious maneuvers, including a broad speculating on the VIX, also know as “volatility index”.

This comparison doesn't just apply to the stock market. It also applies to the cities of Dresden, Mosul and Raqqa that were destroyed in a few days (the elevator) while it took centuries to be build them (the stairs).

The same also applies to a person's reputation that has been built over time and can be destroyed in a sudden. Generally, building takes far much longer than demolishing. The list of extra comparisons could go on forever.

While I love and respect the staircase, I despise the elevator. I hate gratuitous destruction and wish deplorable human-beings that press the “down” button of the elevator knew much better...