The Village Wall

A village needed a defensive wall. If every family contributed labor, the wall would be finished before the rains. If any family shirked, their section would remain open, and the entire wall would be useless.

Unlike a simple donation — where one family’s contribution helped regardless — the wall was all-or-nothing. Ninety percent of a wall protects no one.

Every family wanted the wall. But every family also feared wasted effort if others didn’t show up. The question was not whether the wall was worth building. The question was whether each family believed the others believed it was worth building.