4 ms·

I tell my kids, "When someone says something is 'unfair,' what they really mean is, 'this is not working to my advantage.'"

arethuza 16y ago
An even what people think of fair often isn't. I wish I could remember where I heard this.. Two people have to share a cake. The reasonable person asks for half the cake, the unreasonable person asks for the whole cake. They compromise and split the difference - the reasonable person gets quarter of the cake and the unreasonable person gets three quarters. Quite often people get more in life simply by expecting more than their fair share - and it works as most of us are reasonable.
- Swizec 16y ago
  This is a variation of the famous question used to judge the level of testosterone in men in regards to "alpha" behaviour. Apparently most people would be ok with at least a 20% share, getting less than that and they will demand nobody gets any cake. The more testosterone in your blood, the bigger share you demand. So for example an average guy will want 50% to 60% of the cake, whereas a more alpha male will demand 75% and get away with it because the threshold for "no deal" is 80%. What this teaches us is: Ask for as much as you can get away with even if it feels utterly wrong.
  - Almaviva 16y ago
    > This is a variation of the famous question used to judge the level of testosterone in men in regards to "alpha" behaviour. As long as they're not smart enough to be self-aware of their own bullshit, for then they should treat other people fairly no matter how big and hairy a fucking ape they are.
- Darmani 16y ago
  It's funny how you applied this to a completely different context from whence it came. This is actually how the Talmud prescribes disputes should be resolved -- it's called the "contested garment" rule.
  - Psyonic 16y ago
    I hear it works with babies as well.
- pjscott 16y ago
  If you only end up with a quarter of the cake, how is that reasonable?
  - archangel_one 16y ago
    If you didn't want to eat more than a quarter of it in the first place, maybe you don't care if the other guy has 3/4. Eating 3/4 of a whole cake isn't really fun by the end of it - ever read Matilda when you were young?
- cema 16y ago
  I wish I could remember where I heard this. This is similar to a story from the Talmud. When two travelers come across a treasure lying on the road. The Talmud actually says, claim the whole, and be satisfied with the half. (Or something along these lines.)
- presidentender 16y ago
  I don't even like cake.

arethuza 16y ago

An even what people think of fair often isn't. I wish I could remember where I heard this.. Two people have to share a cake. The reasonable person asks for half the cake, the unreasonable person asks for the whole cake. They compromise and split the difference - the reasonable person gets quarter of the cake and the unreasonable person gets three quarters. Quite often people get more in life simply by expecting more than their fair share - and it works as most of us are reasonable.

Swizec 16y ago
This is a variation of the famous question used to judge the level of testosterone in men in regards to "alpha" behaviour. Apparently most people would be ok with at least a 20% share, getting less than that and they will demand nobody gets any cake. The more testosterone in your blood, the bigger share you demand. So for example an average guy will want 50% to 60% of the cake, whereas a more alpha male will demand 75% and get away with it because the threshold for "no deal" is 80%. What this teaches us is: Ask for as much as you can get away with even if it feels utterly wrong.
- Almaviva 16y ago
  > This is a variation of the famous question used to judge the level of testosterone in men in regards to "alpha" behaviour. As long as they're not smart enough to be self-aware of their own bullshit, for then they should treat other people fairly no matter how big and hairy a fucking ape they are.
Darmani 16y ago
It's funny how you applied this to a completely different context from whence it came. This is actually how the Talmud prescribes disputes should be resolved -- it's called the "contested garment" rule.
- Psyonic 16y ago
  I hear it works with babies as well.
pjscott 16y ago
If you only end up with a quarter of the cake, how is that reasonable?
- archangel_one 16y ago
  If you didn't want to eat more than a quarter of it in the first place, maybe you don't care if the other guy has 3/4. Eating 3/4 of a whole cake isn't really fun by the end of it - ever read Matilda when you were young?
cema 16y ago
I wish I could remember where I heard this. This is similar to a story from the Talmud. When two travelers come across a treasure lying on the road. The Talmud actually says, claim the whole, and be satisfied with the half. (Or something along these lines.)
presidentender 16y ago
I don't even like cake.