Subject: Problems (Page 7)

The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair.

(1952 – 2001) English writer, dramatist, & musician
Failure Murphy’s Laws Problems Situations Things

The mistake you make is in trying to figure it out.

(1911 – 1983) playwright
Mistakes Problems

Experiments should be reproducible… they should all fail in the same way.

Failure Murphy’s Laws Problems

If not controlled, work will flow to the competent man until he submerges.

Murphy’s Laws People Problems Work

Experience: What causes a person to make new mistakes instead of the same old ones.

Definitions Mistakes

If you think you're wrong, you're wrong

Corollary: If you think you're wrong, you're right.

Characteristics Murphy’s Laws Problems

Things are gradually falling into place on top of me.

(1933 – ) English author & cartoonist
Problems Situations

The man has a 70% approval rate, which makes sense to me because he's pretty much done everything I expected him to do: the economy's in the toilet, we're at war and everything's on fire.

(1964 – ) American writer, stand-up comedian, actress, television host
People Problems

Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them.

(1911 – 2004) 40th U.S. president & actor
Government Problems

If you can't fix it with duct tape you haven’t used enough.

Problems Situations

If most auto accidents happen within five miles of home, why don’t we move ten miles away?

Accidents Autos Problems Things

A dropped object will fall with an acceleration of 32 feet per second per second, and if it is your wallet, it will make every effort to land in a public toilet.

(1947 – ) American columnist & humorist
Accidents Murphy’s Laws Problems

Never moon a werewolf.

(1958 – ) screenwriter, film director & actor
Problems Situations

Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.

(1854 – 1900) Irish dramatist, novelist & poet
Mistakes Problems

If the assumptions are wrong, the conclusions aren't likely to be very good.

Murphy’s Laws Problems

If you break a cup or plate, it will not be the one that was already chipped or cracked.

Accidents Murphy’s Laws Problems

If only one solution can be found for a field problem, then it is usually a stupid solution.

Military Murphy’s Laws Problems

The Course of Progress: Most things get steadily worse.
The Path of Progress: A shortcut is the longest distance between two points.

Murphy’s Laws Problems

An expert is a person who avoids the small errors while sweeping on to the grand fallacy.

Failure Mistakes Murphy’s Laws Problems

I was a trapeze artist…. but I was let go.

Canadian stand-up comedian, actor & writer
Problems Work

No matter what goes wrong, there is always somebody who knew it would.

Murphy’s Laws People Problems