An Eye for an Eye
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:45 am
Let's examine the statement "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" for a moment.
We have two groups of people that we are examining here: the eye pokers and the eye poked.
Let's assume that the number of eye pokers is a small subset of the entire population.
Let's also assume that eye pokers do not poke eye pokers, only non-eye pokers.
Let's, finally, assume that eye pokers eye poke until they are themselves eye poked by a governmental eye poking agency(not considered an eye poker for the purpose of this discussion).
Scenario 1:
If we do not remove the eye pokers eyes, they can still see to poke more eyes.
If this occurs, the eye poking will continue by the eye pokers indiscriminately, at which point the eye pokers will be the only ones that have not been eye poked(not blind).
Scenario 2:
If we do poke the eye poker's eyes, then the eye pokers will no longer be able to effectively poke eyes.
In this case, eye pokers are only able to eye poke one individual each, since after the initial eye-poking, the poker has his or her eyes poked by the governmental eye poking agency.
In this scenario, the number of eye pokers is equal to the number of eye poked(Note that I am grouping the eye pokers separately from the eye poked even though all eye pokers are also eye poked)
Given the above, "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" is impossible because the eye pokers make up only a small portion of the population.
Let's use some actual percents here:
Let's say Eye Pokers make up 15% of the entire population.
Scenario 1 leaves 85% of the population blind. (100% Population - 15% Eye Pokers)
Scenario 2 leaves 30% of the population blind. (15% Eye poked Eye Pokers + 15% Eye Poked Non-Eye Pokers)
Scenario 2 gets worse if we remove the assumption that eye pokers do not eye poke other eye pokers.
In that case, the entire population is eye poked except for the last eye poker that hasn't been eye poked(assuming that the eye poker doesn't get bored and poke his or her own eyes).
Scenario 1 gets better if we remove the governmental eye poking agency and arm the entire population with preemptive eye poke defense devices, referred to PEPDD from this point forward.
A PEPDD works by blocking the eye poke and eye poking the original eye poke initiator(Use of a PEPDD to eye poke does not, for this discussion, transform the individual wielding the PEPDD into an eye poker)
In this case, only the 15% of the population of would-be eye pokers end up blind.
Edit: Fixed grammatical error
We have two groups of people that we are examining here: the eye pokers and the eye poked.
Let's assume that the number of eye pokers is a small subset of the entire population.
Let's also assume that eye pokers do not poke eye pokers, only non-eye pokers.
Let's, finally, assume that eye pokers eye poke until they are themselves eye poked by a governmental eye poking agency(not considered an eye poker for the purpose of this discussion).
Scenario 1:
If we do not remove the eye pokers eyes, they can still see to poke more eyes.
If this occurs, the eye poking will continue by the eye pokers indiscriminately, at which point the eye pokers will be the only ones that have not been eye poked(not blind).
Scenario 2:
If we do poke the eye poker's eyes, then the eye pokers will no longer be able to effectively poke eyes.
In this case, eye pokers are only able to eye poke one individual each, since after the initial eye-poking, the poker has his or her eyes poked by the governmental eye poking agency.
In this scenario, the number of eye pokers is equal to the number of eye poked(Note that I am grouping the eye pokers separately from the eye poked even though all eye pokers are also eye poked)
Given the above, "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" is impossible because the eye pokers make up only a small portion of the population.
Let's use some actual percents here:
Let's say Eye Pokers make up 15% of the entire population.
Scenario 1 leaves 85% of the population blind. (100% Population - 15% Eye Pokers)
Scenario 2 leaves 30% of the population blind. (15% Eye poked Eye Pokers + 15% Eye Poked Non-Eye Pokers)
Scenario 2 gets worse if we remove the assumption that eye pokers do not eye poke other eye pokers.
In that case, the entire population is eye poked except for the last eye poker that hasn't been eye poked(assuming that the eye poker doesn't get bored and poke his or her own eyes).
Scenario 1 gets better if we remove the governmental eye poking agency and arm the entire population with preemptive eye poke defense devices, referred to PEPDD from this point forward.
A PEPDD works by blocking the eye poke and eye poking the original eye poke initiator(Use of a PEPDD to eye poke does not, for this discussion, transform the individual wielding the PEPDD into an eye poker)
In this case, only the 15% of the population of would-be eye pokers end up blind.
Edit: Fixed grammatical error