# Dealing with "we can't be sure the Sun will rise until it does" people **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2021, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215 "2021-01-11T00:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215/21 "2021-01-11T21:50:31Z")
As Damon Runyan once wrote, “The race does not always go to the swiftest, nor the fight to the strongest—but that’s the way to bet it.” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215/22 "2021-01-11T21:58:01Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > I’ll bet you a thousand dollars that Mike Pence signs off on the electoral votes. No, no hedging. If you think there’s a reasonable chance this happens, then bet me, and you’ll win a thousand dollars. Some I know would just move the goalpost int he direction of that anything that has not yet happened is 50/50 so they don’t like those odds. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215/23 "2021-01-11T22:39:01Z")
Why do you need to get through to them? It’ll all be over in a couple of weeks and then you can say ‘I told you so’. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215/24 "2021-01-11T22:47:02Z")
Runyan’s other great quote that I use whenever I can is “I long ago came to the conclusion that all life is 6 to 5 against” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215/25 "2021-01-12T11:16:34Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > They seem to regard events that are \>99% certain to happen as if they were mere 50-50 coin flips. Almost like saying, “We can’t be sure the Sun is going to rise tomorrow morning until or unless it does.” Any response I give to refute them is countered with, _well it hasn’t happened yet so how can you be sure it won’t?_ > > What is a suitable way to get through? How about starting with this? “If I roll this die, will an odd number come up?” “Maybe.” “Or will a an even number come up?” “Maybe.” “Do you think those are equally likely?” “50-50 coin flip, innit?” “Which is more likely: an odd number, or a six?” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215/26 "2021-01-12T22:53:10Z")
As to the election, or damn near anything involving current politics, it isn’t about odds, it isn’t about math, it isn’t about logic. It’s about the power of wishful thinking and folks desperately wanting to believe that the line of professionally spun BS they’ve been swallowing for years will pay off as they’ve been told it will. Until you can get the propaganda out of their ear for a year or two and replace it with a real course of real facts, you may as well be debating with somebody high on LSD about what shape the melting clock is. ---
**Author:** ![paulmarkj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@paulmarkj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulmarkj)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215/27 "2021-01-22T17:21:41Z")
A telling point is that when these people also don’t give up after the result is announced, and don’t give up after recounts and court cases. Some people will never give up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-we-cant-be-sure-the-sun-will-rise-until-it-does-people/930215.md?page=1)