On assumptions

And now we're all caught up!

This week (Nov 11) we have a double-portion, reading "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony" and "Strider."  Having escaped the Old Forest and arrived in Bree, a town where hobbits and humans live in harmony, the hobbits find lodging at the Prancing Pony, an inn Tom Bombadil recommended.  There, they meet Aragorn, who is at first introduced to them as strider.  He knows much more about Frodo's quest than they expect anybody to know.  He is also as keen on helping keep it a secret.  While speaking to Frodo, they notice Pippin is loudly telling the inn patrons stories about Shire, specifically Bilbo's last birthday when he disappeared.

Frodo was annoyed.  It was a harmless enough tale for most of the local hobbits, no doubt;
just a funny story about those funny people away beyond the river; but some
(old Butterbur [the inn-keeper], for instance) knew a thing or two, and had probably heard
rumours long ago about Bilbo's vanishing.  It would bring the name of Baggins to
their minds, especially if therehad been inquiries in Bree after that time.

Frodo fidgeted, wondering what to do.  Pippin was evidently much enjoying the attention he
was getting, and had become quite forgetful of their danger.  Frodo had a sudden fear that in his
present mood he might even mention the Ring; and that might well be disastrous.

'You had better do something quick!' whispered Strider in his ear.

Frodo then joins Pippin in front of the crowd, quickly changing the topic by thanking everybody for their hospitality.  One of the Bree hobbits calls for a song and Frodo obliges.  It goes quite well.  The text even tells us: "It was now Frodo's turn to feel pleased with himself."  He feels so pleased, in fact, that when the song mentions jumping Frodo leaps off the table he'd been standing on and crashes into a tray.  Somehow in the tumult, the Ring ends up on Frodo's finger, and he disappears.  So much for keeping secrets!

"Who is at fault for this disaster?"
"The Ring, of course.  It wants to be found."
"Does not Frodo deserve some blame, for he is the one who got swept up in the song and leaps from the table."
"Surely Frodo deserves some blame - he tries to help but makes things worse."
"But Strider is the one who urged him on."
"Is Strider to blame?  Maybe the inn patrons?  Why not blame Gandalf, for entrusting such a heavy burden to Frodo?  Frodo must be liable for his own actions."
"The inn patrons had no idea the One Ring was in that very room with them.  We can't hold them responsible except in the vaugest of terms, in that everyone should always strive to avoid harm.  But what is harm?  Frodo is evidently uninjured.  How are they to know the very one they spoke to had the One Ring in his possession?  While they played a part we can't hold them responsible for harms not just unintended but unimagined."
"Gandalf is also not to blame.  What other choice did he have?  It could not remain in the Shire, Bilbo isn't mature enough, and Gandalf himself dares not bear it.  Even if we say Frodo was not a good choice, can we come up with a better choice?  Indeed we should instead commend Gandalf for makinghe difficult discision to do anything, rather than do nothing and pretend that was noble."
"There's still Strider."
"How can Strider be to blame?  He only just met Frodo."
"Exactly!  So why does he encourage him to do something?  Unlike the inn patrons he knows the burden Frodo carries.  What he does not know is Frodo's capacities.  Strider, having a fearful reputation in those parts, could have strode over to the group and slammed his fist on the table, demanding quiet.  It would have interrupted the story and focused all attention on him.  Because of his rugged appearance Pippin may have remembered the dangers of their quest and so if anyone tried to get the rest of the story out he could have made something else up."
"So why doesn't he do this?  To test Frodo?"
"No, he understands the stakes are too high.  Bill Ferny is among the patrons, whom Strider already believes is working for the Enemy."
"So he holds some responsibility, too."
"He does.  Let's take this from another angle.  How could he have better advised Frodo?"
"He could have been more specific.  He could have said 'Get your friend to stop talking.'  Instead he merely encourages him to do something, and quick.  Ultimately the problem is Frodo forgets why he made himself the center of attention."
"Oh, you're right."
"Well of course!"
"No, no.  I mean, yes.  But Strider says he should do something quick.  We haven't touched on that yet."
"The danger is near, a quick response is necessary."
"Frodo's quick response causes much more harm.  He interrupts Pippin awkwardly, then gets pressed into singing a song, and then decides to enact part of the song.  We can see the threads of a panicked mind.  If only I keep doing something!  Only a good response is necessary."
"So Strider's error is telling him to be quick?"
"Well, what if being quick that is also Strider's error.  He is too quick to trust Frodo's instincts.  As we saw last week Frodo is just beginning to understand how to respond to dangerous threats.  Strider has spent a longer time with such responsibility, and he has spent a lot of time with Gandalf, who also is thus practiced.  Strider may have assumed Gandalf chose Frodo because he was particularly responsible, not because he was the best choice available."
"Strider's error was trusting Gandalf too much?"
"Yes - another error attributable to quickness.  He didn't ask Gandalf about Frodo, but made an assumption based on Gandalf's past decisions.  But had he asked, surely Gandalf would have told him Frodo was, while the best choice available and perhaps would have argued he was a good choice, that he still needed much guidance and help.  When we make assumptions..."
"I know, I know - you make an ass out of you and me."
"But you also tell stories about others before they have a chance to tell them themselves.  And by drawing your attention to what you assume, you are more likely to notice it."
"How can one overcome their assumptions?"
"By asking questions, and being curious."
"We must be open to being wrong."
"That's a negative framing - most people don't like to be wrong.  We're more likely to say "I have found the exception!" than "My assumption was wrong."  We should be curious instead.  The world is wide and complex, and how awesome is it we can learn about it?  If you make a wrong assumption, you could miss out on a friend or a business opportunity or something else.  If you're going to tell stories about others before you meet them, why are you meeting them?  Instead of deciding you know the answers already, ask questions and find connections to yourself.  No one is impressed by a know-it-all, but they may be impressed by your wide range of experience.  At the least you're less likely to stumble, as our heroes did here."

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