Half Full...or Half Empty?

Philosophy Forums Psychology and Mind
1

In your own opinion…is this glass of water Half Full or Half Empty?

2

If you think the glass of water is…

Half Full: You are Optimistic; you look toward the positive side of things.

and…

If you think the glass of water is…

Half Empty: You are Pessimistic; you look more toward the negitive side of things.

Example:

Optimist: YEAH BABY!!! I got a “B-” on my AP World History test!!!

Pessimistic: F***!!! I got a “B-”…where the hell is my “A+”?? GRRR… I want a redo!

3

What if I recognize that the glass is completely full of two different fluids? Half of the glasses volume is ful of atmosphere, the other of more or less pure water.

4

You still see the glass as half FULL of water…so you’re consitered optimistic.

5

I see it in a process,

Half-full if it is being filled, half-empty if it is being emptied.
and no ad-hominems please

6

The glass is neither half full, nor half empty - it just needs topping up.

7

Saying “half the glass is full” is not saying “the glass is half full.”

I think the whole glass is full.

8

It’s an engineering problem; the glass is too big for its contents.

9

It’s a literary problem, the content is not sufficient for the form.

10

It’s pretty pessimistic to call it a problem.

11

One may describe the glass as half full because one preferences giving positive despcriptions over negative ones. Remember, Yes-saying is a virtue! :smiley:

12

The glass is half-assed

13

A challenge then. :smiley:

14

From the special-education perspective: The glass is just fine the way it is.

15

01.27.07.1882

What a delightfully amusing response! =D>

Yes, the glass looks fine, but where did that water come from?

Is that table made of real wood?

I would also argue that while there is the illusion that the glass is half full, the volume of water is more than half the capacity of the glass itself; meaning, it is more than half full…

16

or the content is too small.

17

I say the glass is half full, and no, I’m not an optimist. It’s just that what matters to me is the water inside it (supposing it is water), not the air (the “emptiness”).

18

That makes you the pessimist and me the optimist. Thanks for defining me. :laughing:

19

Having given this some thought, I think your answer really only depends upon whether you’re used to seeing full glasses of water or empty glasses.

20

The bottom of the glass is slightly wider. The glass is probably more like 51% water and 49% air.