It’s Monday morning and you’re waltzing down the street. You’re thinking about that important meeting you have in a few hours when suddenly, out of nowhere, they emerge from the shadows.

A man and a woman dressed in black corporate wear. You spot them, you sense you’re in danger, but it’s too late to turn back now, you have to face your fears. Your morning meeting at the office doesn’t seem quite as important anymore.

You lower your gaze and say a little prayer to God as you approach them. You tell God, “If you see me through this, I will be a much better person. I promise.”

You raise your head and you make eye contact with one of them. This confirms it, they’ve spotted you. You know they’ve targeted you, you know you’ll have to engage.

You shift to the edge of the walkway in a last ditch effort to slip by. As you get nearer, their attention is drawn to a man who wandered too close to them. He looks defeated, and you pity the poor bastard. However, you know that will be your fate if you don’t take this opportunity to make a run for it.

You hasten your pace and look away, feigning deep thought. You feel the wind pushing back as you speed up. You can’t see them, but you think you’ve made it through. You heave a sigh of relief, but then you hear the woman speak. And you know she’s speaking to you.

She says, “sister! Can I please have a moment of your time to talk about our lord and saviour Jesus Christ?”

You’ve been caught. You think fast and tell her you already believe in Jesus and have somewhere to be immediately. She offers an understanding nod. You think you’ve survived. But she reaches into her purse and offers you a flyer. Now, your dilemma begins…

You know you’re not going to read it, you know you’ll trash it the second you leave her presence. You tell her, “I’m not going to read this, you should save it for someone who will” but she doesn’t budge. She insists you take it.

You know you shouldn’t accept it, because if you do, you’re wasting their efforts, you’re maybe taking the flyer that could’ve prevented the next Tinubu, you’re creating unnecessary waste and contributing to Global warming. But…!

Should you reject it, you’re setting up a rather unnecessary confrontation with the flyer lady and you may feel bad afterwards.

This conundrum is what I’ve termed “the saint’s paradox.” I’ve named it so because whatever decision the saint makes, she causes harm and thus, she can no longer claim to be a saint. Unlike the trolley problem, there is no option of inaction here. This is one of the many struggles we face trying to be good people.

Hi, SoToday we’re going to be talking about Flyer Etiquette.

There are two perspectives with which we can view the problem. First is through the eyes of the recipient of the unwanted flyer and second is through the eyes of the flyer custodian.

Recipients

While we already explored the recipient’s point of view, we haven’t answered the burning question. What’s the morally right thing to do when someone offers you a flyer you know you won’t read. Is it to be polite and accept it regardless? Or stand your ground and reject it for the greater good?

Both sides lead to a path of inconvenience, and we’re forced to consider the lesser evil or perhaps the path of least resistance. While arguments can be made for both sides, I lean strongly towards the “reject it” ideology, as I feel it is the objectively good outcome.

Flyer Custodians

The custodian’s point of view is not so often explored. The recipient is often the victim in this scenario and little mind is paid to the perceived perpetrators. Why does the custodian pose a such a challenge to the recipient? Are they aware of the effects of their unchecked campaigns?

Ultimately, the most important factor in this dilemma is the rationale behind the flyer custodian’s insistence on people taking a flyer even when these people have made it painstakingly clear that they have no intention of even glancing at the contents of the flyers.

If the custodians did not insist, the saint’s paradox would not exist. Everyday people would be able to say “No, thank you” and leave without being thrown into a philosophical argument i.e. the saint, could remain a saint.

In the end, the custodians are, in my opinion, a menace to society because of the ethical circus they put us through. They must look within themselves to find a solution to our shared problem. Do they not care that the flyers they have spent resources to produce will be reduced to ashes without ever being read? Do they live in denial hoping the recipients will change their mind and read the flyers?

What goes on in the minds of flyer custodians? If we can understand the logic behind the custodian’s perseverance in this regard, maybe we can proffer a solution both sides can agree on. Perhaps the custodians are victims as well. Perhaps, they suffer from the actions of a third, unseen party. Perhaps, like us, they also long for a solution.

Despite leaning towards the rejection ideology and knowing fully well it is the objectively good outcome. I often find myself accepting the flyer and then immediately discarding it.

What are your thoughts on this? What do you do when you’re faced with the saint’s paradox?

Have you ever been a Flyer Custodian? Have you ever insisted people take a copy? If you have, tell us about your perspective in the comments.