contradictory aphorisms

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There are many pieces of instant wisdom that contradict each other. I wonder if they have ever been collected? If anyone has a link to such a collection, I'd appreciate knowing it. Otherwise, how about trying to do it ouselves. An example--

A stitch in time saves nine

CONTRADICTS

Haste makes waste.

-- Lars (lars@yahoo.com), January 13, 2001

Answers

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

CONTRADICTS

Out of sight, out of mind

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), January 13, 2001.


All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

CONTRADICTS

Idleness is the devil's workshop.

-- (L@zy.bones), January 13, 2001.


Absence makes the heart grow fonder

CONTRADICKS

Absence makes the peter wander

-- (nemesis@awol.com), January 13, 2001.


Military intelligence

-- (very@bad.thing), January 13, 2001.

Compassionate conservative

-- (no@such.animal), January 13, 2001.


look before you leap

CONTRADICTS

he who hesitates is lost

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a penny saved is a penny earned (after taxes)

CONTRADICTS?

don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish

-----------------------

make hay while the sun shines

CONTRADICTS

haste makes waste

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), January 13, 2001.


Check out: "Rhyme as Reason and The Keats Heuristic"

http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~mcglonem/rhyme.htm

-- (dis@enfranch.ised), January 13, 2001.


For example, consider aphorisms about human behavior such as Absence makes the heart grow fonder or When good cheer is lacking, friends will go packing. Psychologists and social science researchers have long noted that such statements enjoy the status of distilled “social wisdom” despite the existence of equally conventional contradictory aphorisms (e.g., Out of sight, out of mind is at odds with the first example) and a lack of empirical support (e.g., 50 years of psychological research has offered little support for the claim that Absence makes the heart grow fonder in social and romantic relationships, Worschel & Cooper, 1989). In the absence of a specific behavioral context in which one might evaluate its truth, a general aphorism such as Birds of a feather flock together is a statement of questionable validity: It may be true in some circumstances, but not others. Without such a context, why might people perceive this statement as true? One important factor is its conventionality. If, as I argued earlier, people often use the “frequency as truth” heuristic in evaluating questionable statements, then the conventionality of an aphorism or proverb can confer a “ring of truth” to the statement that it may not otherwise deserve.

-- (fromthat@rticle.snip), January 13, 2001.

Hmmm, I can think of an example where birds-of-a-fearher do NOT flock together (the lone wolf) but I can't think of an example of where birds-NOT-of-a-feather flock DO flock together. Anyone? Despite our murderous behavior, humans come closest to doing that.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), January 13, 2001.

Lars,

In a forest habitat, it's not unusual to see LBBs & LGBs {little brown birds & little grey birds} flocking together to feed. My current seasonal & regional example would be various chickadees; nuthatches; warblers; kinglets; creepers...{is he screaming uncle yet?}

-- flora (***@__._), January 14, 2001.



...bushtits, vireos, titmouses...{I can't hear you...}

Ah, here's another possible example for you: if there is a predator nearby - such as an owl, hawk or bobcat - different species of jays will band together to sound an alert & try to run the interloper off. It's called mobbing. Under average conditions, however, the different jay species are quite cantankerous with each other.

-- flora (***@__._), January 14, 2001.


Birds of a feather flock together

CONTRADICTS

You can't judge a book by its cover

-- (Contr@dictory.aphorisms), January 14, 2001.


{You mean you expect me to play by the rules?!}

Familiarity breeds contempt

CONTRADICTS

Birds of a feather, yadda yadda

-- flora (***@__._), January 14, 2001.


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