Messenger vs Pandora

[Original post on my Blog | My Blog]

The phrase “don't shoot the messenger” can be abused to absolve one from any responsibility.

Arguing against the abuse needs to be done with a minimum effort. After all, I certainly don't want to speak until my mouth dry, only for my opponent to simply retort with “ah, but I'm only a messenger. So please, don't shoot the messenger”. That's where we need to counter with another short metaphor...

And one that I have, so far, is “Blame not the box but Pandora”.

So what's the story behind this Pandora-esque phrase? In the Greek mythology, Pandora is a woman tasked by Zeus (head of gods) to guard a box. Zeus doesn't tell her what's inside, but only cautions her to never open the box at all cost. Sadly, Pandora succumbs to temptation. She opens the box which then unleashes all sort of evil stuffs: hatred, envy, anger, etc. Because her act causes a dire consequence unto the world, Pandora is often portrayed as the person to blame.

Side note: Actually there's a bright side in the story. Unknown to Pandora, after the box is opened and left unattended for quite a time, a small butterfly comes out. It's said that the butterfly symbolizes “hope”.