# There are 3 types of people in this world... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234 "2003-11-20T01:59:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/21 "2003-11-21T01:56:06Z")
There are two typea of people on the boards… Those who would ask this question in IMHO, and those who would ask in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/22 "2003-11-21T02:24:14Z")
> [@](#): > > My question is, what is the name for these types of statements, in particular one in which the writer is pretending to be one of the people they are describing or the reader has to be one of those people being described to get the joke? You’ve created a definition with two subparts. Let me look at the second first: B) **" the reader has to be one of those people being described to get the joke"** Tautology: if there are only N types of people, then you must be in one of the categories if you’re a person at all. Therefore I’d have to call them “jokes that are only for people”, A) **"one in which the writer is pretending to be one of the people they are describing"** Due to the tautology above, only a nonhuman could _pretend_ to be one of the people described, so this subcategory is: “jokes by non-people” I’m not sure how to combine the two categories with any simpler formulation. I conclude: _ **There are two types of jokes you’re talking about: the ones only for humans, and the ones by non-people pretending to be people.** _ The two classes are not, however, mutually exclusive. Feel better? ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/23 "2003-11-21T02:46:40Z")
There are too types of people in this world! ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/24 "2003-11-21T02:52:21Z")
There are two types of people in this world. Those with loaded guns and those who dig. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/25 "2003-11-21T03:53:54Z")
Seems to be a variant of the Tom swifties. Or at least I am reminded of those after reading the post. To add to the list… “Just because I have a short attention span doesn’t mean I” ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/26 "2003-11-21T04:15:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KP \* > \*\*You’ve created a definition with two subparts. Let me look at the second first: > > B) **" the reader has to be one of those people being described to get the joke"** > Tautology: if there are only N types of people, then you must be in one of the categories if you’re a person at all. > > Therefore I’d have to call them “jokes that are only for people”, > > A) **"one in which the writer is pretending to be one of the people they are describing"** > > Due to the tautology above, only a nonhuman could _pretend_ to be one of the people described, so this subcategory is: “jokes by non-people” > > I’m not sure how to combine the two categories with any simpler formulation. > > I conclude: > _ **There are two types of jokes you’re talking about: the ones only for humans, and the ones by non-people pretending to be people.** _ > > The two classes are not, however, mutually exclusive. Feel better? \*\* [Elise]Ooh, I love this board![/Elise] ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/27 "2003-11-21T04:54:55Z")
I like This by Jim Morrison: Those who race toward death those who wait those who worry (Where else would I get to use that?) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/28 "2003-11-24T15:10:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*There are two types of people in this world. > > Those with loaded guns and those who dig. \*\* You dig. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/29 "2003-11-24T15:36:33Z")
A quote from John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos” “There are two kinds of people in this world, my kind of people and assholes!” ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/30 "2003-11-24T16:13:40Z")
Ha! **HPL** and **Trunk** , beat ya to it… ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/31 "2003-11-24T16:14:53Z")
sheesh, after preview, make sure show is checked!!:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/32 "2003-11-24T20:50:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*There are two types of people in this world. > > Those with loaded guns and those who dig. \*\* … or the SDMB version: Those with loaded dogs and those who burning your dog. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/33 "2003-11-24T21:14:10Z")
Not exactly the same thing, but it is a fact that 3 out of every 4 people make up 75% of the world’s population. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/34 "2003-11-24T21:44:13Z")
There are two types of pee-pole in this world … cut and uncut. 😃 Julie ---
**Author:** ![QuasiQubit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/9dc877/32.png) [@QuasiQubit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuasiQubit)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/35 "2003-11-24T23:38:28Z")
those that don’t and those that get things in reverse order: There are 2 types of people in the world. ---
**Author:** ![acudoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@acudoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acudoc)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/36 "2003-11-25T01:41:21Z")
There’s two kinds of people in the world, and you’re not one of them. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/37 "2003-11-25T02:12:45Z")
There are 3 kinds of people in this world, the 50% that believe this is true, the 50% that think this is false and the 50% that are undecided. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/38 "2003-11-25T03:41:59Z")
From Yogi Berra the Great\ Ninety percent of baseball is half mental. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/39 "2003-11-25T03:51:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ftg \* > \*\*There are two types of people in the world: those that believe that there are two types of people and those that don’t. \*\* I find this joke more amusing when phrased as ‘There are 2 types of people in the world: Those that divide the world into two types of people, and those that know better.’ ---
**Author:** ![jjrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jjrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjrt)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234/40 "2003-11-25T04:20:06Z")
There are two kinds of people in the world, hillbillies and son-of-bitches. from wise ole hillbillies [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-3-types-of-people-in-this-world/214234.md?page=3)