Tearing apart the phrase Life is not fair

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cubedemon6073
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26 Apr 2010, 2:28 pm

These are two definitions of the word fair.
1.free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: a fair decision; a fair judge. 2.legitimately sought, pursued, done, given, etc.; proper under the rules: a fair fight.

If life or the world is not fair is an absolutely true statement then life or the world is always not free from bias dishonesty, or injustice. If life or the world is not fair then life or the world does not follow the proper rules. There is a paradox to this. I ask why can't life or the world being not fair be a rule in itself? If everyone is subjected to this very rule and it is a rule in itself then this means everyone is subjected to bias, dishonesty, or injustice unequally.

By the fairness definition why can't I argue that life having no proper rules and everyone being subjected to bias, dishonesty, and injustice unequally is the proper rule to life in itself therefore rendering this saying as non-true?



Moog
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26 Apr 2010, 4:06 pm

You can. I think you just did.

LIfe is not 'fair' in general, but some people get hit with more 'unfairness', is that what you are saying? Sounds about right to me.


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ViperaAspis
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26 Apr 2010, 4:12 pm

Ah, a logical musing by the author with the tesseract avatar. I would expect no less. Hmm, if I were a geometric figure, what would I be? Grrrr, must... focus.

Let's analyze:

Life is not fair (given)
Life is always not free from dishonesty, bias, injustice (follows)
Everyone is subjected to bias, dishonesty, or injustice equally (follows)
This is fair (definition/axiom)
Therefore, life is not fair. However, initial rule states life is fair therefore dox dox (pair 'o dox)

I would put in the paradox-breaker at statement three "Everyone is subjected to bias, dishonesty, etc". Can we come up with an example of a person who is NOT subjected to dishonesty, bias, or injustice in their life? It is difficult even when considering our most-pampered royalty (even a king who has it all can and will be lied to). The example I would choose is (pardon the morbidity) a newborn who makes it only a short way into life before an untimely death (details of death withheld to protect the innocent). Unless you consider death as an injustice per se, this would be a life who was never subjected to bias, dishonesty, or injustice. Therefore, if you accept this example, we can both break the paradox AND prove the initial rule untrue!


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CockneyRebel
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26 Apr 2010, 4:39 pm

I like this saying, better.

"Life is what you make it." :)


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cubedemon6073
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26 Apr 2010, 4:57 pm

ViperaAspis wrote:
Ah, a logical musing by the author with the tesseract avatar. I would expect no less. Hmm, if I were a geometric figure, what would I be? Grrrr, must... focus.

Let's analyze:

Life is not fair (given)
Life is always not free from dishonesty, bias, injustice (follows)
Everyone is subjected to bias, dishonesty, or injustice equally (follows)
This is fair (definition/axiom)
Therefore, life is not fair. However, initial rule states life is fair therefore dox dox (pair 'o dox)

I would put in the paradox-breaker at statement three "Everyone is subjected to bias, dishonesty, etc". Can we come up with an example of a person who is NOT subjected to dishonesty, bias, or injustice in their life? It is difficult even when considering our most-pampered royalty (even a king who has it all can and will be lied to). The example I would choose is (pardon the morbidity) a newborn who makes it only a short way into life before an untimely death (details of death withheld to protect the innocent). Unless you consider death as an injustice per se, this would be a life who was never subjected to bias, dishonesty, or injustice. Therefore, if you accept this example, we can both break the paradox AND prove the initial rule untrue!


Either way we go, it is logical to say that it is not true that life is not fair which means that life is sometimes fair.



DemonAbyss10
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26 Apr 2010, 5:05 pm

more like noone in life is truly equal.


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ViperaAspis
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26 Apr 2010, 7:50 pm

cubedemon6073 wrote:
Either way we go, it is logical to say that it is not true that life is not fair which means that life is sometimes fair.

Exactly! Nicely stated :)

For anyone struggling with reading that:
It is not true that life is not fair (given from our proof above)
-- which means (simplifying using the contrapositive) --
It IS true that life IS fair (contrapositive)

This proves the original statement false as our good tesseract suspected all along. You're out of the paradox. Well done.

We have also now conclusively proved that life is, by definition, fair and there is to be no more complaining from anyone. Ever.
To all: SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.


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RockDrummer616
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26 Apr 2010, 8:11 pm

My response to "Life isn't fair" is generally "Well, you sure aren't helping that."


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zer0netgain
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27 Apr 2010, 7:25 am

Life isn't fair.

Caveat: Life can easily be not fair TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.



ursaminor
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27 Apr 2010, 8:45 am

I just follow the advice that angry dog meme gives.
Except the one about asking people out.
There seem to be a lot of them.
He is very violent.



PrisonerSix
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27 Apr 2010, 11:35 am

When I think something is unfair, I think it's because there are double standards at work, i.e. one rule for them, another for me. That has always been an annoyance in my life. Why others get to live freely and happily, and I do not.

Double standards are not fair.


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anbuend
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28 Apr 2010, 12:06 am

I don't think the phrase "Life isn't fair" is meant to say "Life is never fair". It just means that unfairness is a part of life. Not meant to be taken as a literal and absolute statement.


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22 May 2010, 5:49 pm

ViperaAspis wrote:
Everyone is subjected to bias, dishonesty, or injustice equally (follows)



No it doesn't



Janissy
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22 May 2010, 6:29 pm

anbuend wrote:
I don't think the phrase "Life isn't fair" is meant to say "Life is never fair". It just means that unfairness is a part of life. Not meant to be taken as a literal and absolute statement.


Exactly!



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22 May 2010, 6:36 pm

CockneyRebel wrote:
I like this saying, better.

"Life is what you make it." :)

I used to say the original statement all the time and I am now realising more and more that this statement is far more important.



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22 May 2010, 6:39 pm

How about, "Life is full of double standards."


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