The Realist

An optimist a pessimist and a realist are sitting in a room.

They notice a glass placed on a table in the center of the room.

The room is not very large, but spacious enough so that the three do not invade each others space.

The optimist says "the glass is half full".

The pessimist says "the glass is half empty". We know that already, don`t we?!

The realist says "... not so fast."

First she asks if we are talking about the same glass. We give her a "duh" look but she is least bothered. She demands to know. Once we are thro with that, she demands to know the necessity for an answer? Ah ha! So the realist is not so smart after all.

We spend some time explaining to her the importance of not only knowing the right answer but also how the answer determines our outlook towards life.

She seems convinced and her next question is; what happens to the glass after we have her opinion on the glass.

Now that is something that we never thought of, did we? What happens to our hero after he rides off into the sunset, having conquered his arch enemy?

Now that is a question which, in the coming years, would replace the "glass with the water" question. I my opinion this one would give us, the seekers of truth, better insights into about ourselves.

Back to the realist. We admit that we have no idea about the fate of the glass once she has answered "the" question.

She does not press us for an answer: maybe she knows it or perhaps she does not care.

Upon hearing her answer to the seemingly simple question, the pessimist and the optimist quietly get up and leave the room. They know that they have just been, shall we say, "Terminated". Well "terminated" is a very strong term so why not just say "replaced". Or better still "your services are no longer required, thank you".

So what did the realist say?

"The glass is leaking."