Take our fun quick interactive personality test to discover whether you help people climb… or drag them gently toward the bottom of the ocean.
🪜⚓ Are You a Ladder or an Anchor?
Find out whether you help people climb… or quietly drag the whole boat to the bottom.
We’ve all heard of the “bucket crab mentality”… the phenomenon where a bunch of crabs in a bucket will actively pull down any brave crustacean attempting to climb out and escape. It’s a classic metaphor for human pettiness. But let’s be honest: crabs are a bit abstract. We don’t interact with many shellfish in our daily lives.
Instead, let’s look at the modern world through a much simpler, more mechanical lens. When it comes to your friends, your coworkers, and your family, everyone you meet is playing one of two distinct structural roles in your life.
They are either a Ladder or an Anchor.
Ladders are the multipliers. They see you trying to scale the walls of life, and instead of stepping back, they plant their feet, offer you a rung, and help you climb into the stratosphere.
Anchors, on the other hand, are the human liabilities. They don’t want to climb, and they certainly don’t want you climbing either. The moment you start gaining upward momentum, they wrap their heavy, passive-aggressive chains around your ankles and drag you straight back down into the murky abyss of collective mediocrity.
If You Scored High: Congratulations, You Beautiful Ladder
If you scored in the Ladder range, congratulations. You possess one of the rarest and most valuable human qualities: the ability to encourage others without pretending that life is easy. People probably leave conversations with you feeling more confident, more energized, and more willing to take action.
Keep doing what you’re doing.
The world already has plenty of critics, doubters, skeptics, cynics, and amateur statisticians. What it desperately needs are more people who can say, “That’s interesting. Tell me more.” You don’t have to solve everyone’s problems or guarantee their success. Sometimes simply believing that another person is capable of more than they think they are is one of the greatest gifts you can give.
If You Scored Low: Congratulations, You’re Self-Aware
First of all, don’t panic.
Being an Anchor doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. In fact, many Anchors genuinely believe they’re helping. They think they’re protecting people from disappointment, failure, risk, embarrassment, or unrealistic expectations. Unfortunately, they often end up protecting people from success, growth, adventure, and happiness too.
The good news is that Anchor behavior is treatable.
The next time someone tells you about a goal, dream, or exciting opportunity, try resisting the urge to immediately explain why it won’t work. Instead, ask a question. Show curiosity. Offer encouragement before criticism. Remember that not every conversation requires you to serve as the Department of Reality Enforcement.
And if all else fails, just remember this simple rule:
Before you speak, ask yourself: “Am I being a Ladder… or am I about to become maritime equipment?”
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