Obeying the Rules

At the entrance of a temple, a big, bold signboard announced with divine authority: “REMOVE YOUR FOOTWEAR BEFORE ENTERING THE TEMPLE.” Beneath it, stood a guard who looked like he was training for the role of “Footwear Enforcement Officer of the Year.” With a serious face and an air of total authority, he was ready to bust anyone breaking the sacred rule of shoe-removal.

One fine day, a man with absolutely no shoes (but plenty of confidence) walked up to the temple. The guard spotted him from a distance and straightened up like a hawk eyeing its prey. He had no idea who he was about to confront, but he was prepared for battle.

The moment the man approached the temple steps, the guard leaped into action.

“HEY! Where are your shoes?” he barked, puffing out his chest as though he were a knight protecting the Holy Grail.

The man, looking genuinely puzzled, shrugged and replied, “I don’t wear shoes.”

The guard’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. This was an offense of the highest order! He looked like he’d just caught someone trying to sneak an entire cow into a vegetarian restaurant.

“Wha—WHAT?!” the guard stammered, his voice shaking with disbelief. “You can’t enter the temple like that!”

The man blinked, still unsure what was going on. “Wait… why not?”

The guard pointed to the sign with an exaggerated flourish, like he was presenting the Ten Commandments to a fool. “Didn’t you read the sign? It clearly says you must REMOVE YOUR SHOES OR SLIPPERS before entering the temple!”

The barefoot man stared at the sign. He looked at his own feet—no shoes. He then looked back at the guard and gave a slow, dramatic sigh.

“Ah,” he muttered, “looks like even common sense had to remove its shoes before entering this temple.”

The guard, momentarily stunned by the logic, stood frozen in place. The man, now with a smug grin on his face, casually strolled inside, leaving the guard staring at his own boots as if they were the only thing standing between him and the ultimate philosophical breakthrough.

Needless to say, no footwear was removed—except, of course, from common sense itself.