The Stick on the Door

There is a Twilight Zone episode “The Howling Man.” A seemingly innocent man is held prisoner.  There is no lock on his cell, only an easily removable wooden stick across the lock. hold.   The monks that guard the tower where the man is held tell a visitor to leave the man alone.  The visitor having sympathy on the man lifts the bar off the door and the innocent man is revealed to be an evil being who once freed,  injures the man,  grows stronger and dissapears in a puff of smoke.  Sometimes it’s best to leave the stick on the door and let the person  who seems to need help stay where they are so  they don’t damage or destroy you in the course of you helping them.   As a friend said long ago “If a person can’t bring you up don’t let that person bring you down.”