The Guillotine

Today they're leading a priest, a drunkard and an engineer to the guillotine. They ask the priest if he wants to face up or down when he meets his fate.

The priest says that he would like to face up so he will be looking toward heaven when he dies. They raise the blade of the guillotine and then release it. The blade comes speeding down but suddenly stops just inches from his neck. The authorities take this as divine intervention and release the priest.

Next, the drunkard comes to the guillotine. He also decides to die face up hoping that he will be as fortunate as the priest. They raise the blade of the guillotine and release it. Again, the blade comes speeding down and suddenly stops just inches from his neck. So they release the drunkard as well.

The engineer is next. He too decides to die facing up. While they slowly raise the blade of the guillotine before the drop, the engineer exclaims, "Hey, I see what your problem is!"

Moral of the story: Sometimes, being overly-helpful can be self-sabotaging.