Stairs are comprised of risers and treads. The riser is what you lift your foot for, the tread is where it lands. When repeated, you are climbing the stairs. When descending, etc.
Stairs, like table heights, are standardized and enforced through building codes and by-laws. The idea is that we get used to them so we can "negotiate" them unconsciously, thereby making life easier for those who believe that any deviation from the grade is an obstacle.
As a child I was told to chew my food slowly. When asked why, my mother said, "Because it's good for you." I didn't understand the concept; I couldn't see the relationship between doing things slowly and good health. It was only later, when a friend said, "You're a slow eater" that I asked, "Is that a bad thing?" and she said, "Oh no, I was raised by Buddhists, and we were taught to be conscious of -- to think about -- where the food we were chewing came from." She was chewing gum when she said this.
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