Half Empty/Half Full or What Else?

Half Empty/Half Full or What Else?

Over several years I occasionally challenged my growing collection of creativity colleagues, friends, contacts to use their creative thinking skills to generate long lists of ideas.

Here is another one from a few years ago.


How about seeing if we can generate many different answers to the same "old statement"?

Situation

a glass is sitting on a desk.  there is water in it up to the 50% mark.


1. objective people can say..."the glass is 50% full or empty"

2. the optimist can say..."the glass is 1/2 full"

3. the pessimist can say..."the glass is ONLY 1/2 full"

4. an engineer can say..."the glass was manufactured twice aslarge as was necessary"

5. one creative person might say..."the glass is completely full: 1/2 with water and 1/2 with air"

Bob Carr (US) sent in the following 10

6.  The thirsty person says, "I don't care how much is in it.  I'll take
it."

7.  The biologist looks to see how many organisms are swimming in the
water.

8.  The fireman want to know how sufficient is that amount of water to
put out the fire in the trash basket.

9.  The health conscious person is trying to figure out if this is 1/2
full, how many times would I need to fill it to get my daily 64 oz.

10.  The waiter is wondering if it is time to refill the glass.

11.  The impatient diner is wondering why the waiter hasn't already
refilled his glass.

12.  The curious scientist is marveling at the principle of refraction
after he put a spoon in the glass of water.

13. The magician is wondering how he can turn the glass on end without
spilling a drop.

14.  The gardner is planning on pouring the water on the table plant
beside the glass.

15.  The child is wondering is he can make a little mud cake with the
water.

Which brings us to 15.

Walter (US) sent in the following 5 bringing the total to 20…

16. The slightly more optimistic that the usual optimist says: "the glass is
on it's way to becoming full".

17. The extremely optimistic optimist says: "the glass is three quarters
full".

18. The Buddhist optimist (like me) says: "the glass is full and perfect as
it is".

19. The esoteric Buddhist might say: "It is not the glass that is full or
empty but it is your mind that is full or empty."

20. The compassionate person says: "I am so glad that a person was able to
drink half of the water".

Tim Heller sent this one bringing our total to 21.

21.  Well... technically, one isn't entirely accurate... it's a case of
molecules... where .5 + 5. doesn't equal 1... take a 1 cup measuring cup and
pour half a cup of water into it... now pour half a cup of alcohol (not the
drinking kind)... because of the molecular density I don't think you'll
measure a cup of liquid.

Jennifer (US) sent this one bringing our total to 22.

22. How about "The glass that *matters* is full...the extension of glass beyond
the water level is of no importance."

Ron Yurman (US) has given us the following 10 bringing the total to 32

23. Motivational Speaker - The glass is using half its potential

24. Mathematician - The glass contains x/2, where x= the maximum amount of water it can contain

25. A goldfish - It's better than the plastic bag of water I was living in

26. A drunk - Why is there water in the glass?

27. A parent - There's enough there.  You'll get more when you finish what you
have

28. A paranoid - Who wants to know how much water is in there?

29. CIA agent - Sorry, but that's classified and available only on a need to
know basis

30. Pollster - 50% water, 50% undecided with a +/- 3% margin of error

31. Gallon jug of water - About 1/16th of me is in there

32. Visually impaired - What glass of water?

Jmf (US)
33. Ah yes, William James, "It depends what you mean by around" /glass.

Jmf (US)
34. You know this is a trick question. It can only be answered by a question,
i.e., is the glass being emptied or filled? Let me know if anyone suggests
this response.

Half full or half empty?

My sister says it's completely full.  Half water and
 half air.

Her husband says it's half empty and what's in there is probably poison.

Ron Yurman

Motivational Speaker - The glass is using half its potential

Mathematician - The glass contains x/2, where x= the maximum amount of water
it can contain

A goldfish - It's better than the plastic bag of water I was living in

A drunk - Why is there water in the glass?

A parent - There's enough there.  You'll get more when you finish what you
have

A paranoid - Who wants to know how much water is in there?

CIA agent - Sorry, but that's classified and available only on a need to
know basis

Pollster - 50% water, 50% undecided with a +/- 3% margin of error

Gallon jug of water - About 1/16th of me is in there

Visually impaired - What glass of water?


1. The thirsty person says, "I don't care how much is in it.  I'll take
it."

2. The biologist looks to see how many organisms are swimming in the
water.

3. The fireman want to know how sufficient is that amount of water to
put out the fire in the trash basket.

4. The health conscious person is trying to figure out if this is 1/2
full, how many times would I need to fill it to get my daily 64 oz.

5. The waiter is wondering if it is time to refill the glass.

6. The impatient diner is wondering why the waiter hasn't already
refilled his glass.

7. The curious scientist is marveling at the principle of refraction
after he put a spoon in the glass of water.

8. The magician is wondering how he can turn the glass on end without
spilling a drop.

9. The gardner is planning on pouring the water on the table plant
beside the glass.

10. The child is wondering is he can make a little mud cake with the
water.

Bob Carr
USA

Alan:

The slightly more optimistic that the usual optimist says: "the glass is
on it's way to becoming full".

The extremely optimistic optimist says: "the glass is three quarters
full".

The Buddhist optimist (like me) says: "the glass is full and perfect as
it is".

The esoteric Buddhist might say: "It is not the glass that is full or
empty but it is your mind that is full or empty."

The compassionate person says: "I am so glad that a person was able to
drink half of the water".

Walter Di Mantova

Tim Heller

Well... technically, one isn't entirely accurate... it's a case of
molecules... where .5 + 5. doesn't equal 1... take a 1 cup measuring cup and
pour half a cup of water into it... now pour half a cup of alcohol (not the
drinking kind)... because of the molecular density I don't think you'll
measure a cup of liquid.

How about "The glass that *matters* is full...the extension of glass beyond
the water level is of no importance."
Jennifer

Well the rest of you…hmm….don’t just sit there
demonstrate your creative thinking.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?