Half Full or Half Empty
Have you ever been in the situation where you were enjoying a fine meal with friends, colleagues, loved ones, supermodels or whoever; then one guy with self-confidence and proud look picked up a glass and said to everyone 'Is this glass half full or half empty?'.
When someone asked: 'What's the point?', that smiling same person who threw question would answer: 'It is a very advanced psychological test!'. Some may answer 'half empty', others would say 'half full' -- just out of curiousity.
Totally satisfied that he had gained the entire attention of the table, with high chin and puffed up chest, would then explained that those who answered 'half full' were positive, optimistic, go-getter type of person. The 'half empty' camp was for people with timid personality, who are always afraid to take necessary risks to advance. So on and so on, the blabber would continue. The rest would now be amazed of how smart and enlightened he was.
No, that didn't happen to me. I watched it on some film. Oh the humanity. It's so ... to put it mildly: silly. You understand what I mean right?
All right for those who don't here's why. There is only one correct answer: 'half full'. It has nothing to do with personality or psychology -- who are teaching these guys anyway? It is 'half full' (or a quarter full, or a third full, or whatever) because it is mathematically so.
Empty is zero. Anything of zero is always zero without exception. A half empty = 1/2 x 0 = 0 = empty. Since there is some water in the glass -- about half of it's full capacity, then it is invalid to say that it is empty, or half empty (which is the same as empty), or anything empty. Full is the exact total capacity of the glass. Half full is the volume at the point of being half of this capacity. Thus it is half full not half empty.
Who made that question anyway? I sure hope it's not some professor or we're doomed. Ohh the fruit of our brightest minds.
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