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        riddles >> general problem-solving / chatting / whatever >> what is the subject?
        
(Message started by: srn347 on Sep 30th, 2007, 9:31pm)
Title: what is the subject?
Post by srn347 on Sep 30th, 2007, 9:31pm
Who's the bigger fool, the fool or the fool following the fool? Somehow I know that someone will make a joke by calling someone a fool.
Title: Re: what is the subject?
Post by Sir Col on Oct 1st, 2007, 12:18am
Is it possible to have gradations of foolery? That is, a fool is a fool. So a fool following a fool is just being a fool. There is no "bigger" fool. If we graded on the number of foolish things they've done, then an older fool would undoubtedly be a "bigger" fool than a younger one, but maybe we could keep things simple and just grade on body mass?

I know that the question you've posted is well known, but I think that it lacks true wit in that it answers itself explicitly. It states that the person following the fool is already a fool without leaving the listener to come to that conclusion. It would be better phrased, "They might be a fool, but who followed them?"
Title: Re: what is the subject?
Post by towr on Oct 1st, 2007, 5:52am
If they start off at the same size, and move at constant speed, then the slower moving one is the biggest. (As per Lorentz contraction)
Title: Re: what is the subject?
Post by rmsgrey on Oct 1st, 2007, 11:22am

on 10/01/07 at 05:52:12, towr wrote:
If they start off at the same size, and move at constant speed, then the slower moving one is the biggest. (As per Lorentz contraction)

But the faster is more massive.
Title: Re: what is the subject?
Post by srn347 on Oct 1st, 2007, 9:08pm
Bigger in terms of the size of their foolishness.
Title: Re: what is the subject?
Post by towr on Oct 2nd, 2007, 12:46am
There really isn't a way to tell without knowing their motivation or their foolishness. There can be perfectly valid reasons to follow a fool; you might not even have any reason to assume they are a fool after all.
Title: Re: what is the subject?
Post by Aryabhatta on Oct 2nd, 2007, 11:10am

on 10/02/07 at 00:46:06, towr wrote:
There really isn't a way to tell without knowing their motivation or their foolishness. There can be perfectly valid reasons to follow a fool; you might not even have any reason to assume they are a fool after all.


True... I know some co-workers (who are no fools) follow around fools in some of the forums they visit, just for the entertainment value.  ;)
Title: Re: what is the subject?
Post by Grimbal on Oct 2nd, 2007, 2:49pm
I don't follow you there.  ::)


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