A friend of mine was a true mountaineer and was even a member of a team that rescued mountain climbers in trouble. As a young adult, I joined him on several expeditions and learned the art of rappelling—a method of moving down the face of a cliff using a double rope secured above and placed around the body. 

This maneuver requires the climber to lean out over a precipice, a position that can feel very scary at first. But it’s absolutely necessary for a correct and safe descent. 

Clearly, this act requires a lot of trust—not only in the equipment but, more importantly, in the principle of rappelling. To lean out seems counterintuitive. But the more you lean out, with your feet placed flat against the surface of the cliff, the smoother your descent.