Most of the people close to me have been going through really tough patches recently.
Sigh.
Therefore-
----------------
I have a secret (up till now, at any rate) theory which guarantees silver linings in any dark cloud. The Kai Siang One Car Theorem is as follows.
The first assumption of the theorem is that you can never know the full implications of something that has not happened.
The second assumption of the hypothesis is that we have some limited knowledge of implications of something that -has- happened (i.e that we have not been hit by a car).
The third assumption is that if something bad happened, or something good could have happened, or both, this unlucky incident might indirectly have prevented a chain of events that would lead to you being run over by a car.
Argument:
Assume something bummerish happened, i.e say i receive a letter saying i have cancer.
Since at every moment after that i have yet to be hit by a car,
and it is possible that if i had not received that letter,
by now i would have been hit by a car,
(i.e without the anxiety, i might have gone on a spending trip where i jaywalked and was struck by a speeding car)
i am hence better off having that lousy event occur to me, since it possibly prevented a fatal event where i am run over by a car.
Criticism of The Kai Siang One Car Theorem-
Q: Dear Sir, recently i learnt that i have cancer, *then* i got hit by a car! How does this theorem then assist in optimistic philosophical musings?
Reply from the eminent me:
Ah ha, but you haven't heard of The Kai Siang *Two* Cars Theorem-
The Kai Siang Two Car Theorem-
If you have indeend been hit by a car, it might have been a pivotal event in which you are prevented from being hit by *two* cars.
Modify it accordingly to whatever happened to you. Say you got hit by One Car and then Fell Down. So The Kai Siang One Car One Fall and One Splinter In The Thumb Theorem states that if not for the car crash and the fall, you might have healthily walked on to be hit by a different car crash, fell a different fall PLUS ended up having a nasty splinter in the thumb!!!
So see, it might have seemed to be darn unlucky, but it was actually a happy calamity preventing a worse one.
Praise for The Kai Siang (insert number here) (insert vehicle here) Theorem:
Anonymous- "The days have been really bad recently, but if not for The Kai Siang Two Cars, Three Lorries, One Huge Warehouse Fire, Four Nasty Rabid Dogs And A Splinter In The Thumb Theorem, I might have frowned a little."
Also Anonymous- "Hey, me too!"
Strongest criticism for The Kaisiang (Insert number) (Insert event... what? really? that actually happened? poor you...) Theorem-
Q: Let's say something happened, AND I DIED. My only fear is not dying. How do i maintain a healthy positive attitude towards life by careful application of your great and benevolent wisdom?
Ans: You needn't.
------------------
Yah it's stupid. but i hope you smiled :)
and the strange thing is, the theorem works if you try.
-------------
Prom photos:
Johnny's photos are up! the url is *somewhere*. to be specific, it's *somewhere* in the email i sent in the egroups. go check. I'd see if i can do his videos on the johh.smith account by tonight.
Last time i checked, available albums are tongkai's, cha's (includes mine cause i used her camera), andre's, joyce's, jud's. Check their blogs/class egroups for urls.
Showed mom some photos, my view is validated that ah boNg lks good! or ah bOng is the auntie sha1 shou3 type HAHAHAHAHAHA :)
--------------
Sigh.
Therefore-
----------------
I have a secret (up till now, at any rate) theory which guarantees silver linings in any dark cloud. The Kai Siang One Car Theorem is as follows.
The first assumption of the theorem is that you can never know the full implications of something that has not happened.
The second assumption of the hypothesis is that we have some limited knowledge of implications of something that -has- happened (i.e that we have not been hit by a car).
The third assumption is that if something bad happened, or something good could have happened, or both, this unlucky incident might indirectly have prevented a chain of events that would lead to you being run over by a car.
Argument:
Assume something bummerish happened, i.e say i receive a letter saying i have cancer.
Since at every moment after that i have yet to be hit by a car,
and it is possible that if i had not received that letter,
by now i would have been hit by a car,
(i.e without the anxiety, i might have gone on a spending trip where i jaywalked and was struck by a speeding car)
i am hence better off having that lousy event occur to me, since it possibly prevented a fatal event where i am run over by a car.
Criticism of The Kai Siang One Car Theorem-
Q: Dear Sir, recently i learnt that i have cancer, *then* i got hit by a car! How does this theorem then assist in optimistic philosophical musings?
Reply from the eminent me:
Ah ha, but you haven't heard of The Kai Siang *Two* Cars Theorem-
The Kai Siang Two Car Theorem-
If you have indeend been hit by a car, it might have been a pivotal event in which you are prevented from being hit by *two* cars.
Modify it accordingly to whatever happened to you. Say you got hit by One Car and then Fell Down. So The Kai Siang One Car One Fall and One Splinter In The Thumb Theorem states that if not for the car crash and the fall, you might have healthily walked on to be hit by a different car crash, fell a different fall PLUS ended up having a nasty splinter in the thumb!!!
So see, it might have seemed to be darn unlucky, but it was actually a happy calamity preventing a worse one.
Praise for The Kai Siang (insert number here) (insert vehicle here) Theorem:
Anonymous- "The days have been really bad recently, but if not for The Kai Siang Two Cars, Three Lorries, One Huge Warehouse Fire, Four Nasty Rabid Dogs And A Splinter In The Thumb Theorem, I might have frowned a little."
Also Anonymous- "Hey, me too!"
Strongest criticism for The Kaisiang (Insert number) (Insert event... what? really? that actually happened? poor you...) Theorem-
Q: Let's say something happened, AND I DIED. My only fear is not dying. How do i maintain a healthy positive attitude towards life by careful application of your great and benevolent wisdom?
Ans: You needn't.
------------------
Yah it's stupid. but i hope you smiled :)
and the strange thing is, the theorem works if you try.
-------------
Prom photos:
Johnny's photos are up! the url is *somewhere*. to be specific, it's *somewhere* in the email i sent in the egroups. go check. I'd see if i can do his videos on the johh.smith account by tonight.
Last time i checked, available albums are tongkai's, cha's (includes mine cause i used her camera), andre's, joyce's, jud's. Check their blogs/class egroups for urls.
Showed mom some photos, my view is validated that ah boNg lks good! or ah bOng is the auntie sha1 shou3 type HAHAHAHAHAHA :)
--------------
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