One, but his behaviour would seem bizarre.
He (or she of course), would shout "this light bulb needs to be changed, please help, desperately need light" ideally he'd go out onto a busy street and get everyone he can find with interest in the project into his room to help change it.
Then as soon as he has two or three people there he'd find out how they plan to change the bulb, and then find lots of problems with that approach. And if he can find divisions of opinion, then argue the opposite view to whoever is speaking now.
He'd get them into the
And ideally, find a way to get Nazis or Terrorism or Big Game Hunting or Communism into the conversation. In ways that make no sense, the more illogical the more it gets people riled.
E.g. "Using a step ladder makes you a Nazi because they used step ladders in concentration camps"
"You are a communist if you use a chair because communists sit on chairs"
"Big game hunters are tall so if you get someone tall to change the bulb that means you support killing whales for sport".
Then watch as they spend hours, days, or ideally weeks arguing angrily about the best way to change a light bulb - and explaining why it is neither Nazi nor Communist nor Whale Hunting For Sport or whatever hits their emotional buttons to use their various approaches - while the troll looks on and from time to time puts in an extra remark or two to keep the argument going.
And the best outcome for the troll is if the bulb never gets changed. The troll prefers to sit in darkness anyway and dreads daylight, so doesn't need light bulbs.
He (or she of course), would shout "this light bulb needs to be changed, please help, desperately need light" ideally he'd go out onto a busy street and get everyone he can find with interest in the project into his room to help change it.
Then as soon as he has two or three people there he'd find out how they plan to change the bulb, and then find lots of problems with that approach. And if he can find divisions of opinion, then argue the opposite view to whoever is speaking now.
He'd get them into the
- Stand on a chair camp
- Use a step ladder camp
- Find someone tall who can just reach up to change it camp
- Remove the lampshade first camp
- Leave the lampshade on camp
And ideally, find a way to get Nazis or Terrorism or Big Game Hunting or Communism into the conversation. In ways that make no sense, the more illogical the more it gets people riled.
E.g. "Using a step ladder makes you a Nazi because they used step ladders in concentration camps"
"You are a communist if you use a chair because communists sit on chairs"
"Big game hunters are tall so if you get someone tall to change the bulb that means you support killing whales for sport".
Then watch as they spend hours, days, or ideally weeks arguing angrily about the best way to change a light bulb - and explaining why it is neither Nazi nor Communist nor Whale Hunting For Sport or whatever hits their emotional buttons to use their various approaches - while the troll looks on and from time to time puts in an extra remark or two to keep the argument going.
And the best outcome for the troll is if the bulb never gets changed. The troll prefers to sit in darkness anyway and dreads daylight, so doesn't need light bulbs.
Tolkein's image of trolls turned to stone by sunlight - they can't stand sunlight and would probably prefer darkness to changing a light bulb.
Incidentally, in this encounter, Gandalf actually trolls the trolls :). He gets them arguing over how to cook the hobbits until the sun rises and they turn to stone.
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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