Jason Thistlethwaite
799 B
Seemingly unsolvable, stress-inducing or morale-sinking situation that seems to latch on to anybody who gets involved and won't let them alone. Usually, this is because the problem is being caused by an external factor the people involved have no real control over.
Narrative example
Bob and Sally are tasked with keeping the kitchen clean, organized, and safe. Meanwhile, John and Sarah are responsible for making 60 sandwiches per hour. The standards set by management, as well as the layout of the kitchen and equipment available mean John and Sarah can only make enough sandwiches if they work in an unnecessarily messy and unsafe manner.
In the above situation, there isn't much either group can do. If either group succeeds at their goal, it most likely causes the other group to fail.