Impossible is a word people use often but more often than not, I feel, 'improbable' would be a better choice.
Before the hot air balloon and the aeroplane, people said that it is impossible for a man to fly. In a few centuries time, here we are in 2007, airline companies locked in battle offering flight tickets at throwaway prices. When our ancestors said 'impossible' what they intended to convey was that at that point of time, with the technology available then, it was not probable that a man would be able to fly. Conditional on the heavier side...could have just used the other word.
But nowadays people are much less skeptic as far as science and technology are concerned.
My problem with the usage is almost trivial. The world is a funny place. There will always be freaks like me who feel that when someone says something is 'impossible'( as in you can't do it), they have to be proved wrong. This quirke of personality ( I prefer this description to weirdness) has led me into more 'argument for argument's sake' than all the others put together. On the other hand, it does make life a wee bit more interesting.
There is the yet another side to this. People(including me) say it is impossible to succeed(win a competition, pass an exam, get a decent grade...whatever). That is just a first class ticket to losing hope sooner than you need to. Saying 'impossible' is like writing the verdict before the trial. Success or failure will depend on how much we work towards our goal upto the last moment. By saying 'impossible' and quitting halfway through, we would in effect be making it impossible to succeed (even then not entirely...remember the 1% luck element). Note the difference. Originally success was dependent upon our input; after succumbing to 'impossible' input becomes nil reducing the probability of success and proving ourselves true. What a sorry way to make a true prediction. I'd rather say improbable and win and still be half correct in my prediction.
Here is my case for 'improbable'-
1) When you say improbable, win to lose probability is not 0 ie there is an element of chance.
2)You can fix a ratio according to your level of optimism and derive a 'feel good factor'
3)Who do you think you are? Nostradamus? Even he didn't get it all correct...
So, next time you feel like saying impossible, just pause and consider...
Before the hot air balloon and the aeroplane, people said that it is impossible for a man to fly. In a few centuries time, here we are in 2007, airline companies locked in battle offering flight tickets at throwaway prices. When our ancestors said 'impossible' what they intended to convey was that at that point of time, with the technology available then, it was not probable that a man would be able to fly. Conditional on the heavier side...could have just used the other word.
But nowadays people are much less skeptic as far as science and technology are concerned.
My problem with the usage is almost trivial. The world is a funny place. There will always be freaks like me who feel that when someone says something is 'impossible'( as in you can't do it), they have to be proved wrong. This quirke of personality ( I prefer this description to weirdness) has led me into more 'argument for argument's sake' than all the others put together. On the other hand, it does make life a wee bit more interesting.
There is the yet another side to this. People(including me) say it is impossible to succeed(win a competition, pass an exam, get a decent grade...whatever). That is just a first class ticket to losing hope sooner than you need to. Saying 'impossible' is like writing the verdict before the trial. Success or failure will depend on how much we work towards our goal upto the last moment. By saying 'impossible' and quitting halfway through, we would in effect be making it impossible to succeed (even then not entirely...remember the 1% luck element). Note the difference. Originally success was dependent upon our input; after succumbing to 'impossible' input becomes nil reducing the probability of success and proving ourselves true. What a sorry way to make a true prediction. I'd rather say improbable and win and still be half correct in my prediction.
Here is my case for 'improbable'-
1) When you say improbable, win to lose probability is not 0 ie there is an element of chance.
2)You can fix a ratio according to your level of optimism and derive a 'feel good factor'
3)Who do you think you are? Nostradamus? Even he didn't get it all correct...
So, next time you feel like saying impossible, just pause and consider...
No comments:
Post a Comment