# Half full or empty glass? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 12, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174 "2002-09-12T22:56:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/1 "2002-09-12T22:56:33Z")
Hi there, It’s said that those who look for imperfection are always destined to not come away empty-handed and yet from a more optimistically focused person they will say there is enough wrong in the world and choose to look for the good in people… My question is… where’s the balance either way? Can one who sees only bad find good and one who prefers to see good see bad? Or is it that _everything_ is obvious to either one of these types of people and they come away with their own conclusions? What is the answer to this? Is there a way to be both happy **and** fair? How can a person be wrong in the eyes of one who wants only to see goodness and vice versus? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/2 "2002-09-12T23:04:39Z")
Isn’t the solution to recognise your initial feeling and moderate the ‘second thought’ accordingly? I’m a half-empty person by nature, but I know it and try hard not to assume that my first thought is the ‘right’ one or the one that I should act on. To be happy and fair means to acknowledge one’s mental bias and not accept that feeling/interpretation on face value. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/3 "2002-09-12T23:09:39Z")
The glass is never half empty unless you are in a vacuum; think about it. Now see if that makes different sense of the half full/half empty analogy. (it does to me). ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/4 "2002-09-12T23:18:04Z")
But **Mangetout** , if the glass was in a vacuum, the liquid would boil away immediately… (Heh. Just fooling with ya. I know what you mean, actually. Good way of looking at it.) For me, if the glass is half empty, I think, “Almost time to order another beer.” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/5 "2002-09-13T00:00:05Z")
> [@](#): > > But Mangetout, if the glass was in a vacuum, the liquid would boil away immediately… Who said it was half full of _liquid_? Glad you got it **Ferrous** ; in case anybody else is scratching their head; the glass that is half full of water is also half full of air; neither of which we can survive without. Vive la difference. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/6 "2002-09-13T00:10:56Z")
The op reminds me vaguely of my attitude toward _Star Trek_ movies, which I routinely go to on their opening weekends. I expect to be disappointed and thus when the rare good scene or piece of dialogue comes along, I’m pelasantly surprised. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2002, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/7 "2002-09-13T01:05:49Z")
“What’s with this glass? I ordered a cheeseburger!” ---
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/8 "2002-09-13T01:26:25Z")
Let’s see if I can further this… and you guys I know you can answer anyway you choose but stop making my great stretch for philosphical enlightenment into a science experiment or a menu item :7 It’s figure of speech and the best way I could draw attention to my question… So Crusoe are you asking me or telling me? :P… nah, I know you’re doing the Socrates line of questioning I get ya :)… What I’m asking is… if you only see the good in people -at what extent of wrongness or evil does another have to demonstrate for such a thing to register in one of these people’s minds? Or to the jaded types (which more plentifully occupy this forum, lol)… if you are skeptical, critical and sarcastic of most everything you encounter in life, how good, beautiful or smelling of paradise would something have to be for you to _see_ that. Not just looking but seeing…\* getting it\* and not judging it but openly accepting this situation? ---
**Author:** ![tourbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@tourbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tourbot)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/9 "2002-09-13T03:31:55Z")
Some see the glass as half empty, some see the glass as half full. I see the glass as too big. _-George Carlin_ ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/10 "2002-09-13T06:27:34Z")
It would make me wonder who the hell had been drinking out of my glass. But seriously, I’m actually a half full kind of guy. One should be grateful for what they have and in the case of your own half full glass you should also be grateful what you’ve already been fortunate to have consumed. Especially if the glass started out full of something like a good single malt scotch. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/11 "2002-09-13T07:54:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Thinktank \* > _Let’s see if I can further this… and you guys I know you can answer anyway you choose but stop making my great stretch for philosphical enlightenment into a science experiment or a menu item :7 It’s figure of speech and the best way I could draw attention to my question… So Crusoe are you asking me or telling me? :P… nah, I know you’re doing the Socrates line of questioning I get ya :)… What I’m asking is… if you only see the good in people -at what extent of wrongness or evil does another have to demonstrate for such a thing to register in one of these people’s minds? Or to the jaded types (which more plentifully occupy this forum, lol)… if you are skeptical, critical and sarcastic of most everything you encounter in life, how good, beautiful or smelling of paradise would something have to be for you to see that. Not just looking but seeing… getting it_ and not judging it but openly accepting this situation? \*\* I’m not sure there is a ‘line’ between seeing and not seeing beauty or wrongness (IMHO, anyway). I don’t know any people who are so far at the extremes of the half-full/empty spectrum that they couldn’t recognise an event or object at the other end. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/12 "2002-09-13T14:05:39Z")
“Is the glass half-empty or half-full?” – It depends whether you are emptying it or filling it. verb. sap. ---
**Author:** ![RAWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@RAWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/13 "2002-09-13T14:29:39Z")
The glass appears to contain approximately 50% of a clear liquid presumably composed of a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in a 2-1 ratio, plus trace elements, in a concoction commonly known as “water” and 50% mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, various other gasses and trace elements commonly known as “air.” The glass, therefore, is full. OTOH, if the liquid portion of the glass is actually beer, then the glass is half empty, and needs to be rectified at once.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Xerxes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d2c977/32.png) [@Xerxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xerxes)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/14 "2002-09-13T14:42:31Z")
Both half-full and half-empty. Trouble is even while we’re debating this the stuff’s evaporating. Clock’s ticking, folks. ---
**Author:** ![bhb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bhb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bhb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/15 "2002-09-13T15:51:17Z")
“My question is… where’s the balance either way?” I don’t think I’ve every met anyone who “always” sees the glass “half full or half empty”. It’s very relative to the circumstances in which the person might be in. For example, on Saturdays I dread that I only have Sunday left, although on other ocassions I see the glass half-full. So, I think the “majority” of people do have balance in their views. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/16 "2002-09-13T21:03:56Z")
The analogy of the half-empty/full glass is interesting from the skeptic’s view: we see the world through the part of the contents we emphasize. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Not just looking but _seeing_… getting it and not judging it but openly accepting this situation? What would be the criteria for “getting it”? I don’t say that to be a jerk—it is rhetorical—, but if you think that people are _limited_ by their opinions rather than, shall we say, vindicated by them, then it would seem that even calling it a _glass_ is saying too much, nevermind approximating its contents relatively. On one hand I think you’re right: our perspectives shape our acquisition of further perspectives; but on the other, to use a phrase I’ve heard a time or two, you shouldn’t be so open-minded that your brains fall out. ---
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/17 "2002-09-13T22:46:25Z")
_Thank_you Eris… gees… again with the glass bit… I’m taking it that most people didn’t know how to address the topic so I get air,water and beer responses 🙂 lol… I’m lost in my gratitude…:7 I meant “getting it” as in what makes it through the “blinders” **Eris** , what “sinks \*in[I/]”🙂 … Thank you again Crusoe and bhb as well… ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/18 "2002-09-13T22:59:40Z")
But what…is…there…to…_get_? Your example, here, “_if you are skeptical, critical and sarcastic of most everything you encounter in life, how good, beautiful or smelling of paradise would something have to be for you to see that._” My point is, you assert there is a _definite_ situation where _no one_ should disagree about what things _are_. But why shouldn’t they? Isn’t that looking at the glass one way or the other _even here_? ---
**Author:** ![ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZombiesAteMyBrain)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/19 "2002-09-14T01:37:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*“What’s with this glass? I ordered a cheeseburger!” \*\* I ordered the cheeseburger too!!! As for the glass - well - depends what’s in it!!! If it’s beer it’s half empty… BUT if it’s nasty medicine - then it’s STILL half full ;-( ---
**Author:** ![ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZombiesAteMyBrain)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-full-or-empty-glass/128174/20 "2002-09-14T01:44:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*“What’s with this glass? I ordered a cheeseburger!” \*\* I ordered the cheeseburger too!!! As for the glass - well - depends what’s in it!!! If it’s beer it’s half empty… BUT if it’s nasty medicine - then it’s STILL half full ;-(