There is a type of crab that cannot be caught---it is agile and clever enough to get out of any crab trap. And yet, these crabs are caught by the thousands every day, thanks to a particular human trait they possess.

 The trap is a wire cage with a hole at the top. Bait is placed in the cage, and the cage is lowered into the water. One crab comes along, enters the cage, and begins munching on the bait. A second crab joins him. A third. Crab Thanksgiving. Yummm. Eventually, however, all the bait is gone.

 The crabs could easily climb up the side of the cage and through the hole, but they do not. They stay in the cage. Other crabs come along and join them--long after the bait is gone. And more.

 Should one of the crabs realize there is no further reason to stay in the trap and attempts to leave, the other crabs will gang up on him and stop him. They will repeatedly pull him off the side of the cage. If he is persistent, the others will tear off his claws to keep him from climbing. If he persists still, they will kill him.

 The crabs--by force of the majority--stay together in the cage. The cage is hauled up, and it's dinnertime on the pier.

 The chief difference between these crabs and humans is that these crabs live in water and humans on land.

 Anyone who has a dream--one that might get them out of what they perceive to be trap--had best beware of the fellow-inhabitants of the trap.

 The human crabs (we call them trolls) do not usually use physical force--although they are certainly not above it. They generally don't need it, however. They have more effective methods at hand, and in mouth-- innuendo, doubt, ridicule, derision, mockery, sarcasm, scorn, sneering, belittlement, humiliation, jeering, taunting, teasing, lying, and dozen others not listed in our thesaurus.

 The way to handle such people is the the same method used by Jonathon Joffrey Crab on his clan. (Remember that book about the crab that wasn't content to walk around, he wanted to learn underwater ballet?) Jonathon, knowing the dangers of attempted departure from the cage, said, "Hey! This is fun! What a gathering of crabs! I'm going to go get some more!" And he danced off to freedom.

 Our sugestion: keep the trolls away from your goals. 

People don't like to see others pursuing their dreams--it reminds them how far from living their dreams they are. In talking you out of your dreams, they are talking themselves back into their own comfort zone. They will give you every rational lie they ever gave themselves. And if you don't believe them with the same degree of devotion they do, get ready for the Big Time Disapproval.

 Why bother? Consider your dream a fragile seed. It's small now, and needs your protection and lots of nurturing. Eventually it will be strong--stronger than the slings and arrows of outrageously limited people.

 When you've attained your goal, THEN tell them about it. Even though faced with irrefutable evidence, the most common expression you'll hear will be, "I don't believe it!" If they can't believe reality, imagine how much difficulty they'd have believing in your Dream.

 This, of course, does not apply to close friends and supporters who have ALWAYS believed in you and offer only encouragement. If you're not sure, tell them about a friend who has a similar Dream. If their response is "Good for them!" you're in good hands. If their response is "What a silly thing to do", it would be a silly thing, indeed to share your goals with them.

 If someone should hear of your dream and start telling you all the reasons why you can't possibly do it, you can (A) walk away, or (B) listen to them with compassion as they describe the parameters of their own comfort zone-- the one that may keep them firmly in the trap until it is hauled up.

 From "Let's Get Off Our Butts" by John Roger