A drinking glass once sat on a table in an college dorm kitchen, containing some water. 2 students entered the room and, upon noticing the glass, began arguing, in classic fashion, about whether it was half empty or half full. Confident in their understanding of philosophy, the volume and intensity of the argument rose, and others joined in, taking sides. The factions grew, and so did the complexity of their arguments. Each side not only devised plans to prove their side correct, but also provided strategies for what should be done with the glass once their side had won. The "half empty" people suggested that the remaining liquid should be either drunk or poured down the drain and the glass put away. On the other side, the "half full" contingent argued that the empty space should be filled so that the owner of the beverage could return to a completely full glass. This went on for the better part of an hour before a wise teacher walked in. The original opponents both rushed to the teacher to make their case.
"Is the glass half full or is it half empty?", they asked him, "We need someone to settle this."
The teacher looked at them both strangely, walked to the cupboard, and removed a smaller glass, carrying it over to the table. He picked up the original glass, poured most of its contents into the smaller one, swallowed the remaining few drops and said, "The glass is too big."
-J Wynia
