In an entirely different qualitative sense, this post reminded me of the short story by Kafka, Before the Law. I won’t paste the whole thing here, but it’s a really short read:

https://homepage.univie.ac.at/st.mueller/kafka_english.html

An article on the story: https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/hd11/BeforeTheLaw.html

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dmbche 8 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

Big thanks this was a wonderful read. Maybe I'll get The Trial today, I tried The Castle and didn't like it but y'know

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lkm0 18 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Kafka (who apparently had a great sense of humor) seems to really enjoy writing people who die from too much second guessing. In the trial, K. keep failing by attempting to outplay the system at every step, because he thinks that he can stay above it all (don't we all). It's what you might call an awfully credible idiot plot.

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quietbritishjim 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Thanks for the interesting read. But, I have to say, I didn't understand it at all.

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Al-Khwarizmi an hour ago | parent | next [-]

It's part of a novel, so it has a larger context. The parable is not intended for you, the reader, but for the protagonist of the novel Josef K., who is spending time in a futile effort. I'd say it's basically about futility of seeking unattainable answers, and frustration. But it's probably not meant to be 100% understood, as Josef K. is a confused character full of doubts (like Kafka's characters tend to be), the purpose of the parable is not to dispel his doubts but to entrap him more in the frustration.

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nemo an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Having worked a large bureaucracy, when we'd sometimes get into some catch 22, I used to quote the line "I am only taking it to keep you from thinking you have omitted anything" sometimes to a friend who also knew the short story, and we'd laugh.

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gilleain 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yes I thought at the start it was about how our expectations of how the law works are at odds with the reality

So the gatekeeper is the system keeping us from Justice - mostly money, but also other less tangible barriers. In theory, everyone gets a lawyer, in practice some people can afford expensive ones.

Then the end twist got me confused.

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nemomarx 2 hours ago | parent [-]

The end twist makes me think it's about an individual attempt to learn and understand the law, but I'm not sure what the inner gatekeepers would represent there.

Something about how we want to understand The Law, capital letters, but then there's only systems we make ourselves and understand ourselves would feel properly Kafka, I suppose. But you think that would be mapped to journeying towards some kind of Law?

	▲	jonhohle 35 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I’m in the middle of using the courts to get State Farm to make me whole. Even at the small claims level, the law and procedures are stacked against the non-lawyer. There is an obvious power imbalance and it’s exploited because most won’t ever make the effort to even try, and those that do will be buried with so much work as to not make the pursuit worthwhile. The story seemed pretty accurate.

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awesomeMilou 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Excercising your rights is a duty, responsibility and experience that is individual to everyone.

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bombcar 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yes, it was very kafkaesque. (I also didn't get it.)

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brazzy an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Keep in mind that the story is actually embedded in Kafka's "The Trial", and discussed by two characters within that story, who have very different views of its meaning.

I think it is very deliberately written to be impossible to "understand". If you think you have found its clear and unambiguous meaning, you're wrong.

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CamelCaseName 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Like the other replies, I also didn't understand it, so I asked Gemini. Forgive my use of AI, but I can't seem to summarize it any better.

> Permission is a Trap: The gatekeeper never uses physical force. The man fails because he accepts the psychological deterrence. He waits for external approval instead of acting.

> Systems are Designed to Stall: Bureaucracy exists to keep individuals waiting. Complying with arbitrary rules and being infinitely patient yields absolutely zero results.

> Your Path is Individual: The gate was made only for this specific man. By deferring to authority, he surrendered an opportunity tailored entirely to him.

> Action Over Compliance: The story is a warning against passive obedience. The system will gladly let you sit outside and rot if you never force the issue.

I don't understand #3, but the rest, especially #4 really ring true.

	▲	keiferski an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Here is a longer article on it: https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/hd11/BeforeTheLaw.html