# "Anything's possible" - No, it freakin' isn't! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 9, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415 "2011-07-09T15:25:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/21 "2011-07-09T22:41:36Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Can we throw “Everything happens for a reason” into this bashing? Because I _hate_ that one. There’s a reason you feel that way and at some point along your life’s journey it will become clear to you… ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/22 "2011-07-09T23:02:04Z")
If you believe, you can achieve. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/23 "2011-07-09T23:14:24Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > I think the best answer to defense lawyers’ “but isn’t it possible that…” question would be “In the asinine sense that any quadrillion-to-one miracle is technically possible, yes”. Actually the best answer is for opposing counsel to object on the grounds of speculation. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/24 "2011-07-09T23:22:15Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > ..\*t means something more like “It’s possible, but a lot of things are possible. That doesn’t mean it actually happened that way.” Yes, it means: “To say that X is possible is irrelevant. So don’t pose a negative question to me regarding that proposition. I refuse to answer it.” And I don’t think this kind of negative question actually gets posed often in trials. Judges see them as a waste of time. They’re essentially hypotheticals. So just stop watching so much TV, **ThelmaLou** , and this kind of thing won’t bother you. In fact, if you had to sit in a typical courtroom the whole day and pay attention to everything that was said, you’d be be so bored you’d be begging to get back to _Law and Order_, and “anything’s possible” would hardly bother you so much anymore. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/25 "2011-07-10T03:05:53Z")
“Possible” is really many meanings crammed into a single word. There are things that are logically possible, but physically impossible. There are things that are physically possible, but psychologically and/or sociologically impossible. (For example, there’s nothing in the laws of physics that prevents communism from working. The way humans work, however, means that communism doesn’t work outside of small groups, at best.) And sometimes, “possible” is a measure of knowledge. That is, if you don’t know that something is impossible, then you say that it’s possible, even though you haven’t actually shown that it’s possible. You’re really saying, “We haven’t ruled out the possibility.” The natural ambiguity of language is fertile grounds for confusion, deliberate or accidental. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/26 "2011-07-10T03:52:18Z")
Why _must_ everything happen for a reason? Because what fucking _goes_ around, fucking _comes_ around. That’s the one **I** hate. Heard a guy say “this is an outrage!”, in the post office the other day. I liked to have shit trying to keep from laughing. Sorry for the mini-hijack, but some phrases are just really stupid. Q ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/27 "2011-07-10T04:45:32Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > What bugs me is when the plot-compliant witness begins his answer with the main clause instead of the subordinate clause, so he can get cut off (“Thank you for that answer. No further answer required”) at “It’s possible” instead of “Well, in the ludicrous sense that magic pixies could have done it, yes, it’s possible, but–” This occurs roughly 100% of the time that it moves the plot where the writers want it moved. A: “Well, in the ludicrous sense that --” B: “Just answer the question.” A: “-- magic pixies could have done it --” B: “YES OR NO. I remind the witness that he is under oath. Once again, YES or NO, is it POSSIBLE?!” A: “-- yes, it’s possible” B: “Let the record show the witness acknowledged it was possible. Thank you, you may step down.” A: “-- but–” B: “NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. The witness may STEP DOWN. Thank you.” ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/28 "2011-07-10T05:04:13Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Why do people make this dumb, stupid statement? Anything is NOT possible. Chill Winston, it’s just a saying… speech shorthand. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/29 "2011-07-10T05:28:46Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > A: “Well, in the ludicrous sense that --” > B: “Just answer the question.” > A: “-- magic pixies could have done it --” > B: “YES OR NO. I remind the witness that he is under oath. Once again, YES or NO, is it POSSIBLE?!” > A: “-- yes, it’s possible” > B: “Let the record show the witness acknowledged it was possible. Thank you, you may step down.” > A: “-- but–” > B: “NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. The witness may STEP DOWN. Thank you.” Do you wish for me to break my oath? I cannot tell the whole truth with your interruptions. And the opposing counsel should be objecting their head off during this anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/30 "2011-07-10T07:14:05Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Do you wish for me to break my oath? I cannot tell the whole truth with your interruptions. Seriously. I’ve always wondered if there’s some sort of law against witnesses telling attorneys like this to shut their yaps so they can actually answer the damn question, because every single TV witness I’ve ever seen has just sort of allowed themselves to be interrupted. Being interrupted is absolutely one of my pet peeves, and somehow I don’t think I should have to put up with it in the court room. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/31 "2011-07-10T07:15:38Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Heard a guy say “this is an outrage!”, in the post office the other day. What is wrong with this? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/32 "2011-07-10T12:30:09Z")
Thanks for the nuances. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/33 "2011-07-10T12:35:17Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > Seriously. I’ve always wondered if there’s some sort of law against witnesses telling attorneys like this to shut their yaps so they can actually answer the damn question, because every single TV witness I’ve ever seen has just sort of allowed themselves to be interrupted. Being interrupted is absolutely one of my pet peeves, and somehow I don’t think I should have to put up with it in the court room. Of course my script above was unrealistic TV drama hyperbole; on the other hand, if you take too much time with your elaborations and clauses I’m guessing at some point it’s the judge who’s going to cut you off and demand a simple answer. My cousin, who works as an expert witness, tells about a time a judge more or less did this to him. Except hizzoner didn’t even demand an answer: he just said “that’s all you’ve got? Step down. Now.” and my cousin didn’t even have a chance to give his view at all. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/34 "2011-07-10T12:56:11Z")
Try flying to the moon in a cessna. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/35 "2011-07-10T13:30:46Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > Seriously. I’ve always wondered if there’s some sort of law against witnesses telling attorneys like this to shut their yaps so they can actually answer the damn question, because every single TV witness I’ve ever seen has just sort of allowed themselves to be interrupted. Being interrupted is absolutely one of my pet peeves, and somehow I don’t think I should have to put up with it in the court room. The best answer I can think of to “Isn’t it _possible_ that flying monkeys planted the evidence?” would be a simple “Not reasonably, no.” ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/36 "2011-07-10T14:04:30Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Why _must_ everything happen for a reason? > > Because what fucking _goes_ around, fucking _comes_ around. > > That’s the one **I** hate. QFT. So the small child getting a horrible painful disease and dying in agony happened for a reason? So when a serial killer abducts people, tortures them to death and no one ever knows what happened to them, that happened for a reason? That happened because the victim deserved it? So if I take this knife and stab it into your throat, it happened for a reason that has nothing to do with me being an asshole and everything to do with you deserving it? COOL. Let’s try it out. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/37 "2011-07-10T15:04:12Z")
Come on guys, relax, _you can be anything you want to be._ Also, I think “everything happens for a reason” is a gateway assertion into mystical woo. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/38 "2011-07-10T15:22:48Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Try flying to the moon in a cessna. It can be done. But it would require extensive modification. 😉 FWIW, my Sherlock Holmes quote was not meant to be taken as something I believe, nor to be taken seriously. I didn’t think a smiley was warranted. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/39 "2011-07-10T15:27:20Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > It can be done. But it would require extensive modification. 😉 > > . Actually it just requires two treadmills running in reverse. One on the Earth and one on the Moon. I’ve always been partial to my own personal corallary to “Anythings Possible” in the accomplishment sense. “Nothing is easy” Nothing. Not even easy shit. Its a lie. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415/40 "2011-07-10T15:37:33Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Actually it just requires two treadmills running in reverse. One on the Earth and one on the Moon. Somehow, I was picturing a giant rubber band powered launcher of some kind on a jules verne(vernian?) scale [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anythings-possible-no-it-freakin-isnt/588415.md?page=3)