| Author | Message | ||
| Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
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I made the same statement to three people. "You poor thing," said Aurora. "You're very irresponsible," said Bevis. "You have remarkable strength of character," said Cytherea.All their responses made sense, although all their claims were false. How come?? | ||
| Eliot (Eliot)
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Was the statement a fact about you? Talking about something you did? Something that happened to you? Did they respond differently because of some difference between them? Or just by chance? | ||
| Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
|
By Eliot (Eliot) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 12:27 am: Was the statement a fact about you? yes Talking about something you did? yes Something that happened to you? noish Did they respond differently because of some difference between them? yes Or just by chance? no | ||
| Hannah Kinghern (Kdoc)
|
the response 'you poor thing' - did A think that you were deserving sympathy? looking for sympathy? a victim of something? or someone? did she think that some misfortune had befallen you? that you had been unlucky? that you had failed in some way? that you had failed to win something? the response 'you're very irresponsible' - had B misunderstood you? did she think you should not have done what you did? that you should have been more prepared? that you had been thoughtless? that you had put yourself in danger? that you hadn't taken care of yourself? or of someone else? did she think that your actions might have harmed someone else? the response 'you have remarkable strength of character - did C think you had been brave? had stood up to someone? stood up for your rights? stood up for someone else's rights? stood by your own convictions? done something which most people would not have done? the thing you did - are any of these relevant: money? salary? job? accepting/rejecting a new job? academic life? political leanings? healthcare? pets? hobbies? writing? being published? correspondence? dieting? chocolate  ? the thing you did - did it involve another person? more than one? many? did you say anything relevant? was it some sort of response to something that had happened to you? or to the way you were treated by someone? was it something you had done recently? within the last few years? as a young person? as a child? the relevant differences between them - political leanings? occupation? education? financial standing? life experiences? | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
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I think that you could have told them that you had lost your parents. "You poor thing" - they assumed that they had died "You're very irresponsible" means that they thought you had left them in the shopping mall and couldn't find them when you hurried back from your car. "You have remarkable strength of character" - they had always wished that they too could get rid of their cantankerous relatives  | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
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I can see the day coming when my kids will leave me somewhere without any money or transport to get home.... | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
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You told them you were taking up a post abroad "You poor thing" - having to leave behind all that's familiar "You're very irresponsible" - leaving us to do all the extra work here ("do you think the department will be able to replace you at such short notice? blah blah blah") "You have remarkable strength of character" - leaving behind all that's familiar | ||
| (Stuccosalt)
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interesting puzzle, lots of scenarios fit this - my first thought was putting a child up for adoption. But it could be something as simple as skipping lunch. | ||
| Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
|
the response 'you poor thing' - did A think that you were deserving sympathy? yes looking for sympathy? yes a victim of something? yes or someone? no did she think that some misfortune had befallen you? yes that you had been unlucky? yes that you had failed in some way? no that you had failed to win something? no the response 'you're very irresponsible' - had B misunderstood you? yes. ( After all, who could corresctly think I'm irresponsible?? did she think you should not have done what you did? yes that you should have been more prepared? possibly that you had been thoughtless? yes that you had put yourself in danger?yope that you hadn't taken care of yourself? yesish or of someone else? possibly did she think that your actions might have harmed someone else? possibly but not necessarily the response 'you have remarkable strength of character - did C think you had been brave? noish had stood up to someone? no stood up for your rights? no stood up for someone else's rights? no stood by your own convictions? no done something which most people would not have done? yes the thing you did - are any of these relevant: money? yope salary? no job? no accepting/rejecting a new job? no academic life? no political leanings? no healthcare? yes pets? no hobbies? no writing? no being published? no correspondence? no dieting? yes chocolate ? see previous answer the thing you did - did it involve another person? no more than one? many? did you say anything relevant? just what I mentioned in the puzzle statement was it some sort of response to something that had happened to you? yes or to the way you were treated by someone? no was it something you had done recently? yes within the last few years? yes as a young person? no as a child? no the relevant differences between them - political leanings? no occupation? no education? no financial standing? no life experiences? yope | ||
| Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
|
I think that you could have told them that you had lost your parents. Noooooo "You poor thing" - they assumed that they had died "You're very irresponsible" means that they thought you had left them in the shopping mall and couldn't find them when you hurried back from your car. "You have remarkable strength of character" - they had always wished that they too could get rid of their cantankerous relatives By Lynne (Lynne) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 02:14 pm: I can see the day coming when my kids will leave me somewhere without any money or transport to get home.... See my puzzle "Sledding to Survival," which was solved yesterday By Lynne (Lynne) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 03:52 pm: You told them you were taking up a post abroad no "You poor thing" - having to leave behind all that's familiar "You're very irresponsible" - leaving us to do all the extra work here ("do you think the department will be able to replace you at such short notice? blah blah blah") "You have remarkable strength of character" - leaving behind all that's familiar By (Stuccosalt) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 04:11 pm: interesting puzzle, lots of scenarios fit this - my first thought was putting a child up for adoption. But it could be something as simple as skipping lunch. Neither. But since you're right that lots of scenarios fit this, let me narrow it down by adding that A & B both misunderstood what I said | ||
| Hannah Kinghern (Kdoc)
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so had you just told them about a diet you had been on? that you had lost weight? that you had given up chocolate? that you had been eating an unusual diet? did you refer to clothes? whether your clothes fit you still? I guess this wouldn't work in the US but over here you might have said you'd lost 30 pounds and someone might misunderstand and think you'd lost money not weight - anything like that? was this is the US? | ||
| Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
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By Hannah Kinghern (Kdoc) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 09:28 pm: so had you just told them about a diet you had been on? no that you had lost weight? yes that you had given up chocolate? no that you had been eating an unusual diet? no did you refer to clothes? no whether your clothes fit you still? no I guess this wouldn't work in the US but over here you might have said you'd lost 30 pounds and someone might misunderstand and think you'd lost money not weight - anything like that? yes!!!!! was this is the US?no ***** SPOILER ****** Clever Hannah triumphs again!! I said, "I lost 147 pounds" to 3 people, 2 British & 1 American. The first 2 (A & B) erroneously thought I had lost money. The third (C) subscribed to the nasty common prejudice that losing weight reflects well on one's character (the other side of the nasty common prejudice than obesity reflects badly on one's character).What does reflect badly on my character is that I posted such an easy puzzle. Please check out my attempt to redeem myself at the bottom of the page | ||
| Hannah Kinghern (Kdoc)
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Yikes! That was quick.. Am I allowed to say 'well done'? | ||
| Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
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Only if you'd say the same to someone who decided to indulge herself & get fat & didn't regret it. |
