Category: Psychology
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Best-known Curves in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Public finance and the size of the state Inequality, growth and the environment Macroeconomics, labour and money Trade, debt and external balance Innovation, technology and marketing Business operations and product life Psychology, memory and performance Society, crime and population Quantitative linguistics and information Narrative structure and the arts
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The Sorites Paradox, Ship of Theseus, and the smoke that broke the Planet’s back.
Introduction The Sorites Paradox, often called the paradox of the heap, is a classic philosophical riddle that arises from the vagueness of our language. It asks: at what point do small changes make a big difference? If removing a single grain of sand from a heap leaves it still a heap, and repeating this seems…
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The Oak and the Reed
By a riverside stands a mighty oak tree, proud and unyielding, next to a cluster of slender reeds that bow and flutter with each breeze. The oak boasts of its great strength and firmly rooted stability, sneering at the flexible reeds for bending meekly to even a slight wind. The reeds reply, “Do not worry…
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The Dog in the Manger
In an old stable, a dog finds a manger full of hay where the oxen feed. Being neither hungry for hay nor in need of the manger, the dog nevertheless curls up atop the pile of feed, claiming it as his resting spot. When the tired, hungry oxen return from plowing and approach the manger…
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The Fox and the Grapes
A hungry fox spies a cluster of ripe grapes hanging high on a vine. The grapes look delicious, and the fox eagerly leaps to snatch them, but they hang just out of reach. After repeated failures to obtain the fruit, the fox scoffs, “Oh, you’re probably sour anyway!” and trots off, convincing himself that he…
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Significant Paradoxes: Psychology and Behaviour
87 Abilene Paradox Four relatives sit on a Texas porch in blistering heat. Someone suggests driving 53 miles to Abilene for dinner. Nobody really wants to go, but each, fearing disapproval, says “sounds good.” They endure the hot, dusty trip and a mediocre meal, only to discover afterward that none of them actually desired the…