On 8/18/2015 3:34 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 8/18/2015 10:05 AM, Muggles wrote:
[...]
I get in trouble with some people for asking "why". They think I'm just
being a pain, but I really do want to know "why". If the "why" can't be
explained to me satisfactorily, then I know there's another way that's
even better.

I dislike folks asking "why" as in "why do you want to DO that?"
("Because! Why the hell do you care about my MOTIVATION??"). There's
a difference between that and asking why something *is* the way it *is*.

Exactly! Although, sometimes asking "why do you want to DO that" is the
right question to ask.

One discussion I absolutely LOVE to participate in is Quantum Physics
and the age of the Earth/Universe and time. There are so many
possibilities to be thought about and discussed with a topic like that.
I also love talking about group dynamics because the "why" behind group
dynamics can be fascinating, but often those topics come to a screeching
halt because people who don't like to ask "why" just want to accept the
current mindset on everything and end up getting frustrated with people
who ask "why". BUT, I still love those discussions because they always
involve thinking outside the box.

There are several interesting texts out there, recently, that delve into
a lot of interesting questions governing behavior. E.g., how we set
"prices" for things (in our mind), how we are manipulated by language,
etc.

The most interesting ideas that I've been exposed to, recently, deal with
subtle issues of morality. Little "what if" puzzles that invariably
leave you trying to suss out why your response to A was different than
your response to B -- when A and B are *essentially* the same!

Love it!

Paraphrasing an example (which I'll probably bodge):

You're on a bridge overlooking a street. A rotund man is standing next
to you. A streetcar (yeah, sure! : ) is coming down the street. The
driver of the streetcar has a heartattack and, as a result, the streetcar
is out of control. Directly ahead of the streetcar are a group of
children in a schoolbus. (I know, lots of preconditions, eh?)

Meanwhile, the guy next to you is peering over the edge of the bridge to
get a better look at the impending accident. In the process, he loses his
balance and falls -- directly into the path of the streetcar which diverts
it from striking the bus full of kids. (Of course, the *guy* is toast!)

Now, you can see the guy is about to fall. Do you reach out and
*save* him? And, in doing so, allow the kids to get struck by
the streetcar? Or, do you let him fall, saving their lives?

*Now*, same scenario. But, this time, the guy *doesn't* lose his
balance. Instead, would you *push* him off the bridge to save the
children?? End result is exactly the same: same body counts, etc.

Yet, to most folks, this second scenario is much harder to accept
than *letting* the guy fall to his death!

Interesting for sure.

Once that/those other reason(s) are clear, you can question if they
are still applicable in *your* circumstances. And, if not, what
freedoms that affords you in *your* solution.

I like to keep looking for solutions that seek out the cause and effect.
If the cause can be isolated, then the effect can be understood at
which point a better solution can be identified.

I've had people tell me over and over again that X or Y couldn't be
done, and my response was always "why not"? If we can think up
something that is useful then there's more than likely a way to make it
happen within the knowledge base that we currently have access to. If
it can't be done now, then possibly in the future. Keep looking until
we've either re-designed the idea to fit the desired end result, or
found a way to do what we need/want to do without any re-design.

Often (at least in my line of work), the information is there in front
of you. *But*, you have self-imposed, preconceived notions/assumptions
that are UNnecessarily limiting your options. "The Box"

yeah ... I hate that box.

The dishwasher, here, moves all the plumbing into the wall behind
the sink/dishwasher. Including the air gap. As a result, the
cabinet beneath the sink has no "extra pipes" to work around.

More space for storage, too.

Yes. In my case, I wanted to make a metal tray that would fit the
bottom of the cabinet to catch spills, leaks, etc. -- to preserve the
integrity of the (wood) cabinet. The hoses and pipes made that
difficult.

Most people would have just given up instead of finding a solution and
doing something outside of the box to make it happen.

Most people would have fallen for the "that's the way its always been done"
answer!

It reminds me of how many people are willing to stand in a long line
instead of seeing that a new checker if about to open the register and
heading for that one.

The shelves that I've always wanted in my bathroom are outside of the
box, but I am happy with what I've created thus far. They've taken an
ordinary bathroom and transformed it into something 3 dimensional to
look at (does that make sense?). Before it was ordinary. Now, there are
multiple viewpoints of interest all over the walls of the room. When
the light shines through the skylight, there are interesting shadows and
rays of sunlight at different times of the day that enhance the 3d
perspective of the room.

Put a rotating mirror ball on the ceiling and some colored pin-spots!
Make yours the bathroom of envy!! :

LOL I don't have that much room.

And, for the coup de grace, put a COINSLOT next to the toilet!!
(I've toyed with putting one outside the front door in lieu of a
DOORBELL! But, I am afraid it would tempt vandals!)

Now THAT's funny!

[...]

I bet she brought up your answer to her superiors. "Did you know there's
more than one number people can see in that picture??" Because of your
answer, they may change something about the picture, so they'll get the
response they need.

You give them more credit than I would! : I expect she forgot
about me as soon as I stepped out of line (and her attention
moved on to that next applicant) ou give them more credit than I would!

Maybe, but it could happen.
[...]

I dunno. I think there'd be an aspect of surprise and variety if a
person has a job like that, and for them to hear a new response from the
norm - it might make a difference in their day... make them think and
notice PEOPLE as an individual vs. part of the herd.

Most people consider their "job" to be "work" -- not something they
want to think about or invest much effort in. Just get to 5PM
and deal with tomorrow, tomorrow. I've found this to be the case at all
levels of employment -- engineers are just as numb to their jobs as
ditch diggers and doctors. What incentive do most folks have to "care"?


Good question. For me, it means something and adds meaning to every day.

--
Maggie