Half Empty or Half Full

[Juicy]

Is a cup half full the same as a cup half empty?

Yes... But that statement is only about your outlook on life. This question is foolish.

Is it the same if you grow larger as it is if the entire world shrinks?

Big and small are relative terms, so yes. Unless there was a way to measure something that remained the same within you and the universe (perhaps electrons, etc.?)

Does the universe have a border? If so, what is there beyond that border? Nothing you say?

The universe does indeed have a border, it is light moving away from the center of the universe (I am in NO way a pro on this and probably have it very wrong)... I can't go into depth but basically the 'end' of the universe is where the light happens to be. No light or matter can escape from that. It is simply impossible. IF there is anything out there then it is completely beyond our comprehension. It could be a whole new form of energy. We don't and probably we will never know.

Where does that nothing end? >_>

<Insert completely mind damaging answer here>

 

[My Pico]

Ah, here is something I've really thought about a bit and it confuses the crap out of me O.o

Is a cup half full the same as a cup half empty?
Is it the same if you grow larger as it is if the entire world shrinks?
Does the universe have a border? If so, what is there beyond that border? Nothing you say? Where does that nothing end? >_>
<Insert completely mind damaging question here>

I know this is a weird topic which is why I'm very intrigued to see what discussion will spawn :3 There are so many ways this can go so discuss GOGOGOGOGOGOGO :3

I don't really care 'bout that yo. As long as it's something I can drink the stuff out of that glass yo!

Have you tried growing larger yo? Smoking weed is really bad for our health yo and I recommend you not to try it yo.

China has great wall of China to prevent invaders from invading their women and lunch money and stuff yo. Universe has border so that aliens won't come and invade us yo!

 

[Yoshikko]

So that we can develop a better understanding of philosophical standings using specific examples.

This thread isn't just about the cup, or the shrinking of the Earth, we're discussing the implications of having both scenario's possible with a 100% chance of being either. You can discuss anything that intrigues you about the Universe and they way we perceive it in this thread.

You're looking too much into it. And the OP is too. There is nothing 'phylosophical' about the cup thing. Develop a better understanding? There is nothing to understand about the cup being half full and half empty at the same time, it's just that the way you look at it would determine whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. It has nothing more to it so this is just ridiculous. You can philosophize over things that aren't clear and raise questions - that isn't this lmao, the answer to this is clear because it's both at the same time. Nothing to philosophize about.

 

[von Weltschmerz]

This thread is philosophy not physics. We're talking about perception not facts, the way in which someone interprets the saying, not the glass itself.

And I, my good sir, was also speaking philosophy. The glass is always full. Maybe not with what you want... but it still is there and you must certainly make the best of it. I believe that to be a far better observation than either of the two that have been so vainly presented to me.

 

[Livewire]

Either way, there's still stuff left in the cup. So if we assign the same kind of philosophical value to that, then wouldn't it be a positive either way? Better have some than none at all.

 

[Plumpyfoof]

You're looking too much into it. And the OP is too. There is nothing 'phylosophical' about the cup thing. Develop a better understanding? There is nothing to understand about the cup being half full and half empty at the same time, it's just that the way you look at it would determine whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. It has nothing more to it so this is just ridiculous. You can philosophize over things that aren't clear and raise questions - that isn't this lmao, the answer to this is clear because it's both at the same time. Nothing to philosophize about.

But that is exactly the essence of philosophy right there, to deny its existence within the most widely recognised philosophical question is contradictory.
I don't think you're looking deep enough into it to fully appreciate this.

And I, my good sir, was also speaking philosophy. The glass is always full. Maybe not with what you want... but it still is there and you must certainly make the best of it. I believe that to be a far better observation than either of the two that have been so vainly presented to me.

I apologise. You would be correct in a sense, although making the best of it is more of a solution than an observation. However I do like the observation "..always full. Maybe not with what you want"
Now we're entering a new dynamic rather than just the "half full or half empty" you're suggesting that we ask as well "what is the cup half full or half empty with?" and then on top of that we can go "how can we use it to our advantage?"
You want to talk some metaphysical philosophy in a glass just look at the way wine swirls inside a glass and overlaps itself, folding the air within it, releasing flavours and dissolving oxygen at the same time. We can assign real-world values for each of these qualities and still end up making metaphorical sense.

 

[The_Consumer]

I don't recall ever saying "hey look, it's a half empty/full glass of ___".
This is a philosophical question, but it can also be a logical one. There is probably no answer and I will give you 1,000,000 if you can confirm the correct one.
On another note, why be optimistic when you can be an eccentric pessimist :P