Refrigerator Magnet Suggestions
A Quantative and Qualitative Analysis of Certain Refrigerator Magnets
“Life sucks and then you die”
“Suck” is factually relative as to both its nature and quantity. What is the base-line against which to measure the life in question? For example, are we lining up that life against Nat Turner, Marilyn Monroe or Mick Jagger?
“Death,” on the other hand, might seem more finite in each regard. However, if you contemplate an afterlife or resurrection then once again you are in search of metrics.
It does not seem that statistical analysis will help us much here. Suggestions for standards of measurement are solicited.
“No good deed goes unpunished”
“Good deed” seems to not involve issues of quantification as any deed, no matter how small, may prove valuable. The definition of ‘good” is, however, deep in the value system of the observer.
“Punishment” is more complex. First, it is undefined against an almost infinite range of possibilities. Second, the entire concept is qualitatively anomalous; if the deed is good, why is the result bad?
My observation of life informs me that no analysis can occur here; do not affix this thought to your refrigerator.
“Even a stopped clock is correct twice a day”
Qualitatively, the elements (“clock” and “day”) are reasonably clear and categorical.
Quantitively, we seem also on similarly sound ground. “Twice” is precise. “Day” is generic but then again they are all the same number of hours, world over, so there is no uncertainty.
This expression consequently is unambiguous and worthy of repetition. Its use is highly situational but, alas, we are not here called upon to deal with frequency of applicability. Go ahead and use it.
Conclusion
By now, I trust you have gotten the hang of it. Please submit similar analyses to [email protected]; worthy submissions will be posted with credit to the person submitting.
About The Author
Stephen Honig
Stephen Honig has been writing fiction and poetry all his life. The sources of his writings are of course his life experiences: growing up in ethnic New York City; attendance at two alleged bastions of Ivy League erudition; a long career in the law with its attendant exposures to people, business and technology; reading everything eclectic along with alleged classics of the Western canon; wide travel including a gig in the USSR in the ‘70s to bring legal briefs to refuseniks; teaching at three colleges and at a law school in Russia; raising two families in very different generations. Now, Honig has completed his first novel, Event, a thriller combining the international espionage style of John Le Carre with the gripping pace of novels by James Patterson. If you’d like to sign up to automatically receive my blog posts, please go to the Contact page and submit the form. Thank you!