We live in interesting times. Half the people hate what’s going on in the world, half the people fear what’s going on in the world, and half the people haven’t got a clue what’s going on in the world. And the biggest problem is nobody cares that these figures don’t add up to 100%. Our standard response to such things is — ” Whatever!” Two hundred years from now, anthropologists and historians (if there are any left) are going to look at our time with a combination of disbelief and WTF? The only thing they’ll be able to agree on is that we’ve abandoned Aristotle for a more Kardashian view of reality. The fact is, most of the stuff we do here is the early days of the 21st century defies logic. Here are a few examples.
Extended Warranties — There are two things going on when you buy an extended warranty. One, you’re betting money that the thing you just purchased turns out to be a piece of junk; and two, if it doesn’t, you’ve just willingly paid for a very expensive handful of air.
Free Stuff — Nope! Even though, like unicorns, we all know what this looks like, it doesn’t exist. Everyone forgets that, unless your name is Aladdin, somebody/somewhere has to pay for the stuff you’re presumably going to get for free — and it’s usually you. (BTW, why did you get singled out to get something for nothing in the first place? Just because?)
Government Secrets/Conspiracies — Governments do not conduct their secret affairs at facilities that regularly appear on television documentaries. Nor do they leave massive clues behind for any YouTuber with a pause button to find. A good rule to remember is if you and all your friends have heard about it — it isn’t a secret.
Lotteries — Math, folks! Do the math!
Denying Climate Change — This is like believing in the existence of God — and Blaise Pascal got it right. If we believe in Climate Change and it doesn’t exist — nothing happens. However, if we don’t believe in Climate Change and it does exist — we’re totally screwed.
Corporate Greed — The sole purpose of any corporation is to earn money. That’s the reason they exist — the only reason. To get pissed off at corporations that generate profits (“excessive” is a subjective term) is like getting angry at your cat because it’s good at catching mice.
And finally:
Apple Logos — Spending a boatload of money for an item that does the exact same thing as another item — that’s sitting right beside it and costs half as much — defies all logic. The only explanation is Apple isn’t a business; it’s a cult.
As I get older, I realize a ton of people are a lot smarter than I am. When I look at the world (even wearing my rose-coloured glasses) mostly all I see is benign chaos. However, some people can look through all that and see where the little bits of truth are hiding. These are the folks who instantly grasp an idea, distill it down to a single sentence, flip it onto their tongues and then effortlessly blend it into the conversation. I know envy is one of the 7 Deadly Sins, but, for all the world, I envy these people ’cause on the rare occasions when I do that, I spend the rest of the day walking just a little taller. Here are some examples and each one, when read carefully, demonstrates some serious understanding of the world we live in.
WD Fyfe 