Context
Wednesday, September 5th, 2007There’s a cute little hypothetical question that everyone has heard, and somehow it’s popularly believed that the answer to this question can neatly summarize a person’s outlook.
Is the glass half empty or half full?
Of course when someone is asked this question the answer is going to be chosen to match their own self opinion, so someone who considers themselves an optimist will answer half-full, a pessimist half-empty, and prickly bastards like myself will get annoyed and simply refuse to answer the question.
A half-empty glass implies that you have just drunk the other half, which to me sounds like a positive thing. A half-full glass implies that someone is too stingy to pour you a whole glass, which sounds like a negative thing. Without understanding more about the context it’s impossible to give a truly meaningful answer to this question, except in that answering the question at all you are confirming your support for a fatuous world-view that really gets my hackles up.
September 8th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
I would say this glass is around 70% empty.
I’m not sure if that makes me pessimistic, pedantic, or wrong.
September 8th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
well, maybe if you think full means to the brim, in which case it makes you greedy!
BTW try finding a photo of a glass half full that doesn’t have a stock photo watermark across it… I think such images must be very popular for corporate presentations…
September 9th, 2007 at 1:14 am
Perhaps it just makes me terribly literal.
As for finding a suitable image; does this count?
link
September 9th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Both are very vitriocentric answers. Those with a more liquid-centric world view may challenge the size of the glass. WAY too big.
September 10th, 2007 at 2:48 am
all I can do is stare at this image and wonder about the frame itself being half full or empty…
September 11th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
My father would comment that the glass is twice as large as required to contain the water. he’s an engineer lol
September 21st, 2007 at 6:27 pm
The first thing that occurs to me is, Yes. The glass is half full, by volume, of water. And, half full, by volume, of air. Even though this is the first thing that occurs to me… if someone actually asked in person I think I’d just blink and smile. Maybe point out I’m thirsty. :)
October 28th, 2007 at 3:21 am
I’d half to say that it’s a half a glass of water….neither half full nor half empty :o)