Rules of initiation

The man threw the ball. The dog didn’t chase it. Stupid dog!

The man threw the ball. The dog brought the ball back but didn’t drop it at the owner’s feet. Stupid dog!

The man threw the ball. The dog chased it down, collected it in their mouth and now explored the park however they liked. Smart dog!

For me this is a great metaphor for learning the rules of initiation.

Stage 1 – I don’t get this game

Stage 2 – Learning to play the game

Stage 3 – Knowing the game so well you’re reinventing the rules.