Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that glass, is my point. But I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually backwash.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Colbert uses a cynical take on a glass-half-empty metaphor to mock optimistic spin on flawed data.
- In plain terms
- Don't drink the water because the rest is dirty.
- What can you take from it?
- Optimism can hide unpleasant realities.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you define progress?
- Is optimism always useful?
Another view
The joke relies on exaggeration rather than literal truth.
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I know there are some polls out there saying this man has a 32% approval rating. But guys like us, we don't pay attention to the polls. We know that polls are …
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