This was an interesting challenge in Al Khaadem Youth Camp 2023: the ice breaking challenge. Within a certain duration of time, participants are required to break open this huge block of ice to search for items (verses of short chapters in Quran). But they can only use chopsticks (one each), and they are not allowed to drop-smash the block of ice.
Sounds simple, but there are important lessons and wisdoms behind it.
By the end of the exercise, we saw a huge variety of results. Many groups smashed their blocks. (i.e. they cheated) - therefore they got the task done quickly. Some groups continued to persist valiantly, with great diligence, but with little to no progress or effect to their blocks. Some groups managed to make some sizable, substantial cracks. Some groups made it halfway: one major incision and got parts of the items.
There was ONE group who solved their task and claimed they did it purely with their chopsticks. Kinda sus. Facis aren’t convinced.
Plot twist: this task is un-winnable, by design.
Why subject them to this torture?
In an episode of Star Trek, space cadets were tested with a simulation called the Kobayashi Maru. The simulation was designed in such a way that no matter what they do, they will lose - the crew will be outnumbered, and everyone will be killed. Captain Kirk was the only one who passed the test: by cheating his way through. He cannot stand failure.
So at the end, cadets who failed, they questioned: WHY design such impossible odds? What's the point of testing our leadership if its doomed to fail anyway?
In the mission debrief, this was the lesson:
“A no-win situation is a possibility every commander may face.
How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life.
A captain cannot cheat death.The purpose is to experience fear - to accept that fear, and maintain control of oneself and one’s crew. This is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain”
Later during the module class session with my 16 Leads, we engaged them about the challenge - did you know that the ice-breaking game was practically un-winnable?
As I got puzzled, confused looks on their faces, I explained: The purpose here is to test - what is your attitude when you face insurmountable odds? Do you elevate the people around you to keep trying, and persevering to keep pressing forward? Or do you whine and complain and drag down the morale of others?
It was also a lesson in integrity. Here you are, hacking away at the ice, scratching rapidly, barely making milimeters of a dent. Yet, you look at the groups next to you, and you see some of them them secretly cheating by drop smashing the ice when the facis aren’t watching. No one would know, right? (side note: we will know. It will be super obvious to us)
As you're hacking away at the ice with those measly chopsticks, you're left wondering and questioning yourself, why do I have to play by the rules, and these other guys get to violate them?
Can’t we just smash it, win and move on?
If they gave in to those temptations, they might “solve” the task - but they will fail to see the lesson behind it.
You will face this in life. You will see people around you who break the rules to get it done. And on paper, on the surface, you’d think they have done an excellent job. They manage to dodge the auditors, bypass the QCs, and become top performers, high flyers.
You might end up in situations, an environment or working culture that everyone else is playing naughty - copying test results, taking bribes, forging documents, falsely claiming the work of others - and you’re left being the only fool who’s refusing to “play the game”, sticking “stubbornly” to your principles and losing out in the race.
When the choice of integrity honesty - not only does it become futile - it might even seem foolish. And the naughty path is so much easier, convenient, and gets immediate "results".
What will you do?
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