The Elevator Button Principle

Pressure Isn’t Always the Answer

Push the button once. It’s gentle. Simple. If the elevator doesn’t come right away, what do we do?

We push it again—harder this time. As if applying more pressure will make it come faster.
Where does that reaction come from?
Is it doubt? Impatience? Revenge on the button?

We do this in life, too. Applying pressure to things that only needed a touch.
We force. We press. We push people, relationships, and even ourselves—believing intensity will deliver speed.

But how many conflicts could’ve been avoided with the gentleness of that first elevator tap?

Parenting and Pressure

Take parenting.
Wouldn’t a softer, slower approach often yield better results?
A calm voice instead of raised tones.
A patient explanation instead of punishment.

I’ve seen it—over and over. The hardest pushes rarely bring peace. But soft and peaceful parenting? That rarely misses the mark.

What Are We Really Expecting?

Maybe the root isn’t the push—but the expectation.
We expect the elevator to come now.
We expect our kids to get it.
We expect life to move when we say move.

But maybe the lesson is this:
A gentle touch often gets more movement than a forceful one.
And when it doesn’t?
Pushing harder isn’t always the answer.

Sometimes, the waiting is the work.

📬 michaelking@kingofhabits.com