Do you believe in Murphy's law?

@khalida (1126)
India
January 7, 2011 6:08am CST
what this law means is when, you are in the process of doing some work something very stupid and unexpected happens which never lets you complete the task. Let me elaborate, when you are going for an exam, your pen wont write. when you want to catch the bus, you will be late. when you are very hungry, you wont have money. things like that are highly irritating. do you think that such things happen and they are co-incidences or blame yourself for not being cautious
1 person likes this
5 responses
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
8 Jan 11
What Murphy's law actually states is "if anything can go wrong, it will". The explanation of it that you have given is not really the best, & is more than a little misleading. There are pages & pages full of similar laws, additions & observations made by many others. I know this "law" exists, but choose not to make it my mantra. I'd prefer to go with the motto: "hope for the best, prepare for the worst". In many cases, we make our own "luck". Going along with these pessimistic sayings generally doesn't do one much good. I'm more inclined to use them for entertainment purposes. Murphy also has a few more attributed to him. Murphy's Constant states that matter will be damaged in direct proportion to it's value. Murphy's first Corollary states: "Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse". Murphy's second corollary says that it's impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious. Murphy & others like him was one of the more unfortunate of fellows whom I have never met. One thing we can say to his credit is that all this never stopped the man from trying!
@khalida (1126)
• India
9 Jan 11
ha ha ha! i liked your response veganbliss :) i adhere to same kind of positivity. looks like you have done a good research on Murphy and his findings eh! lol :P good one bro! i am glad that you and i , both haven't met him! ;) figurativeme : yes, i agree too. being positive is like half your problems are solved already cause it clams you down and makes you think. Thus solving any kind of problem one might have.
• Adelaide, Australia
9 Jan 11
Unfortunately, Murphy also has an answer for positivity as well, which is expressed in the Non-Reciprocal Law of Expectations, which states that negative expectations yield negative results & positive expectations also reveal negative results! The poor bugger just can't win! Seeger's Law also states that the only time to be positive is when you're positive you are wrong. I seriously think we should take all possible precautions before commencing any undertaking, the last of which should be to throw Murphy out the window!
• Philippines
8 Jan 11
Uhuh. And I agree with you on expecting and preparing for the worst. It is a practical and wise phrase really--murphy's law- but I prefer the positive ones that mean the same thing.
7 Jan 11
Some days, no matter what I do, Murphy's law seems to be on my shoulder all the way, putting an obstacle with whatever I'm trying to do. Just recently I was doing some experiments with a lighting system. As soon as I started, an inverter for one of the lights blew. Result: Wait 3 days for a new one to arrive. Design the circuitry for the lights. Result: My usually ultra-stable laptop fails for the first time, crashing, and requiring a reformat. Soldering the lights, circuitry and inverters. Result: Turns out that my solder expired, its too old to make proper joints. After getting new solder, a new inverter and reinstalling my OS, I'm sitting here contemplating my next move.
• India
8 Jan 11
Oh....very unfortunate....you can say...sh**t happens !!!
@khalida (1126)
• India
9 Jan 11
OH MY GOD! that is a series of events where Murphy's law has had an effect on you. It can be really irritating when things ahppen that way. people often blame it on luck. once in a while, it is ok, but happening this way for you! i think you should bribe Murphy! ;) :P
@marguicha (214281)
• Chile
9 Jan 11
I am quite old and have decided a long time ago that Murphy´s law is the only law with no exceptions. When bread and butter falls, it ALWAYS falls butter side down on the clean carpet. Everyday there´s some happening that makes me say "There´s Murphy´s law again". I don´t blame myself for the irritating everyday things. If I did, I would end up hating myself. Happy posting!
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
8 Jan 11
I didn't always believe in murphy's law. i always thought it was my mother's way of telling me i wasn't doing something right. Now when Murphys law applies to my life and the moment, i can become a believer.
@fpsninja (874)
7 Jan 11
I think the answer is much more obvious than that. In the examples you have given, its is a case of you dont notice it when these things dont happen, and so when they do happen, you notice it. For example, if you were hungry, and had money, then you would buy some food, and you wouldnt really remember it, as its quite uneventful. But if u didnt have any money, u cant get food, and then u remember being hungry due to a lack of food. Take the bus example. if you got there, and then the bus arrived, and you got on the bus, then it would be a normal thing. If the bus went, then you would remember that you were late.
@khalida (1126)
• India
9 Jan 11
yes, i agree with you ninja but what i am telling is, on the most important days, like if i am going for an exam and i miss the bus, now thats a disaster right? that is why i would remember it. if it was an ordinary day when i missed the bus, then probably i'l travel by public transport :)