Missing Stair
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
A metaphor for a group where one person is a known "problem person" (e.g., a harasser, a violent person), but instead of addressing the issue (fixing the stair), everyone habitually avoids them (stepping over the missing stair) and warns newcomers to be careful.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Identify toxic cultures of protection. It reveals how organizations tolerate perpetrators by "normalizing" errors. The solution is not to teach everyone to jump over the broken stair, but to fix the stair (deal with the problem person).
Anchor fast decisions
In a community, known problematic members are avoided with warnings rather than addressed, like a missing stair that everyone habitually steps over, normalizing the issue.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_stairverified
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