The glass - half empty or half full?

[Uncle_Donkey]

You have a glass of water. The water level is at the halfway mark. Is it half empty or half full?

It depends on the state in which the glass was previously. If the glass was previously empty, it is now half full. If the glass was previously full, it is now half empty.

But what if you don't know what state the glass was in previously and can find no evidence thereof? I'd have to say the glass is half full because the function of a glass in this context is to hold water, and an upstanding, self-respecting glass would be performing its function to the fullest, which means the glass wants to be full, and, to avoid confusion about the glass's objective, it is half full.

Edit: grammatical errors

 

[marthanoob]

Why can't it be both?

"How empty something is" and "how full something is" are two seperate perspectives.

 

[Kur]

If I see a glass with some sort of substance in it at the half way mark and I have no idea what the previous state of the glass was in, I would say it is half empty or half full depending on if I want whatever is in the glass. If it is a glass of moldy poop, I would say it is half full. If it is a glass of cold delicious milk, I would say it is half empty.

Of course this is completely subjective, but not every debate has to be about science.

 

[BFDD]

Or for anyone who has seen Demetri Martin's stand up, if the glass contains baby blood it can go either way. If the blood is going to a baby it is half empty, if it is being removed from the baby it is half full.

 

[Airgemini]

For me it varies depending on whats in the glass.
If I see a glass of substance and I dont know what kind of state it was previously in I'll just make an assumption based on what substance the glass contains.
For instance, if I see a glass containing water at the half way mark I'll normally say its half full. However if I see a glass containing.... Lets say gummy worms. I'll say its half empty.
Call it weird but thats how I normally decide.

 

[MojoMan]

This is all a amtter of opinion, which the expression was originally based off. Are you a pessismist, or an optimist?

 

[Deleted member]

Neither. The glass is clearly twice as big as it needs to be!

 

[_V_]

The glass will always be half full to me.

As MojoMan stated, it is because I am an optimist.

Half empty has too many negative connotations associated with it for me to think like that...that glass is performing its function to its fullest!

 

[WuTangDude]

The glass, is simply both states at once. Both are correct.

 

[Stroupes]

It depends.
If you have just filled the glass half way, it's half way full.
If you have just drank the glass half way, the glass is half empty.

 

[AltF4]

The glass has an insufficient amount of water.

 

[pockyD]

The glass has an insufficient amount of water.

Only if you were hoping to find a glass of water. If you were hoping to have an empty glass that you could fill with, say, orange juice, the glass has an excessive amount of water

 

[marthanoob]

Why do we attach certain connotations to certain words and purposefully restrict our vocabulary?
Is this nature or nurture?

I hate political correctness.

(A poor attempt to make this thread something.)