system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 why do ceiling fans go to high on first pull, then medium and low instead of the other way?
gpt
Well, imagine pushing a stalled car. Getting it rolling is the hardest part; once it’s rolling it’s easier to keep it going. The same thing is true of making the fan blade spin. When the fan is stopped, getting the fan turning actually takes quit a bit of energy, so the switch makes you start it on High. On the Low setting, there’s enough juice to keep a spinning blade turning, but not enough to start it from a dead stop.

You can unplug a box fan, set the switch to low, then plug it in and see what happens. If the fan has a super-low setting, it may not even start to spin. But most fans will start up, albeit slowly. But do that a hundred times and the motor may burn out.