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Evilfishy111
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Evilfishy111
1,386 posts
Shepherd

Hmm....I was just thinking this the other day, and I thought, wouldnt it be contradicting itself though? If anythings possible, than that must mean anything is impossible...strange.

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Cenere
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Cenere
13,656 posts
Jester

Just like how it is impossible for me to read those two quotes without parts of my frontal lobe melting into a jelly.

I am very sorry, if the post makes you feel that way. But repetition does make it clearer to people, should they choose to actually read the other posts.
Which it seems only few does, considering the chosen words of some of the other posters.

"if a tree falls in a forest and noone is around to hear it does it make a sound?"

It depends entirely on what you define as sound. If you define the waves of air moving from the tree falling as sound, then it does make a sound, but if you define sound as waves of air making your inner ear move as sound, then it would in fact be soundless, should no one be around to hear it.
As air vibrations in general is not considered sound in themselves, the latter example seems to be the truth.
But, as mentioned, it depends on your definition of sound, rather than anything else.

"What is the sound of one hand clapping?"

Define clapping, for one, then determine whether the above is impossible or not.
One definition is that the palms come together to create sound, in which case it would be impossible for someone to clap with one hand, the the question is moot.
Another just mentioned coming together to create sound, which is actually possible for one hand to do, either fingers against palm or fingers against fingers. While both does create a sound, the former is not very distinct, while the latter actually can make a clap-like noise, if the person doing it is practices in smacking their fingers together with force.
So, either one hand clapping is impossible, in which case we don't need to speculate on sound, or it is possible, in which case you can try finding out what you would define the sound as, which, initially, should probably be clapping, seeing you are clapping with one hand.
Which theoretically could also pose as an answer.

So, as far as I am concerned, only paradoxes are unanswerable in these respects, these questions just needs proper definition, a paradigm or a foothold in philosophy.
SteveeXb
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SteveeXb
490 posts
Templar

you seem like someone whom i would not enjoy spending time with.

Cenere
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Cenere
13,656 posts
Jester

Me or the OP? in any case, why would that be?
The OP is just wondering about strange things as we all do, I am just clearing out some of those "unanswerable" questions that does have an answer if someone bothers to look for it.

SteveeXb
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SteveeXb
490 posts
Templar

i mean you no disrespect Cenere, but i am a very silly person and you seem like a person who would not appreciate my type of humor. i was just trying to be silly with that last post sorry.

Cenere
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Cenere
13,656 posts
Jester

Ah. I just like ruining people's fun, I guess.
However, I do enjoy trying to clap with one hand, if that helps anything.

HahiHa
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HahiHa
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Regent

[quote]If anything is possible, then nothing would be impossible. Being impossible isn't impossible in itself as it is merely an attribute towards the possibility of something, and as nothing would actually be impossible the attribute in itself would no longer exist.

Just like how it is impossible for me to read those two quotes without parts of my frontal lobe melting into a jelly.[/quote]
See it that way.. 'impossible' means 'not possible'. If anything is 'ossible', nothing is 'not possible', therefore nothing is 'impossible'.
Or, since impossibility is the absence of possibility, then as Cenere said the attribute wouldn't exist anymore if possibility was omnipresent.
SteveeXb
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SteveeXb
490 posts
Templar

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If anything is possible, then nothing would be impossible. Being impossible isn't impossible in itself as it is merely an attribute towards the possibility of something, and as nothing would actually be impossible the attribute in itself would no longer exist.
Just like how it is impossible for me to read those two quotes without parts of my frontal lobe melting into a jelly.
See it that way.. 'impossible' means 'not possible'. If anything is 'ossible', nothing is 'not possible', therefore nothing is 'impossible'.
Or, since impossibility is the absence of possibility, then as Cenere said the attribute wouldn't exist anymore if possibility was omnipresent.


....wow just go play a flash game or something... LMAO
HahiHa
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HahiHa
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Regent

....wow just go play a flash game or something... LMAO

I'm sorry but I can't vulgarize it more comprehensibely, maybe you're really as silly as you say
budokai1694
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budokai1694
255 posts
Peasant

well this conversation just totally f*cked with my brain

Patrick2011
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Patrick2011
12,319 posts
Templar

The title is a question, so I thought I would answer it as follows:

If anythingspossible, would it be possible for something to be impossible?


For this, I will pretend that there are a finite number of actions. Specifically, the number will be 26 in this example, where each letter represents an action. The question contains an if statement, which states that all actions are possible, so:

A-Z = possible

Since there are no other actions, nothing is impossible. Therefore, it would not be possible for something to be impossible, but that makes something impossible, which doesn't exist. This results in a paradox. Therefore:

The question is a paradox, so it cannot be answered.
Cenere
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Cenere
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Jester

The question is a paradox, so it cannot be answered.

Didn't both HahiHa and I go over this?
No, it is not a paradox. It also can be quite easily answered if you look at it from the right angle, and not from the place you have sat yourself. Unless you of course are using the "This statement goes outside accepted opinion" definition, which does not make the 'it cannot be answered' less false.

It's pretty easy. Like, as mentioned, "If everything is light, would it be possible for something to be dark" or "If everything is moving all the time, would it be possible for something not to move", just with and added use of the words the question already contains.
If everything is light, there would be no term or attribute for darkness because it does not exist. At the same time, there would be no term or attribute for light either, because there is nothing to mirror it against, no opposite extreme. it would just be, well, normal. The words and the ideas of light and darkness would simply not exist, because there would be no use for it.
Same goes for this. If everything is possible, then the concept of possibility is simply useless and would most likely not be thought of. As such, there would be no possible and no impossible.

And this is why "if" questions are dangerous to pose, because you are implying a setting where this would be reality, and you will then have to work from the premises the setting puts up for you.
Latchem
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Latchem
75 posts
Farmer

So if everything is possible, then surely it is impossible to make something impossible, seeing as everything is possible and so to create another action in a world where anything is possible would instantly make that action possible.

So God could create a rock that he both could and could not lift, he could not lift it if he did not try because it is possible for him to create an unmovable rock. It is, however, possible for him to lift the rock should he move it... Now is this me trying to warp Schrödinger into this equation or does it have any sense attached to it?

xAyjAy
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xAyjAy
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Blacksmith

So God could create a rock that he both could and could not lift, he could not lift it if he did not try because it is possible for him to create an unmovable rock. It is, however, possible for him to lift the rock should he move it... Now is this me trying to warp Schrödinger into this equation or does it have any sense attached to it?


that is exactly what i tried to show through the three pictures that i posted in my last post.
TopRank_
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TopRank_
275 posts
Peasant

It is impossible for me to jump off a cliff, stark naked, and fly. Some things are impossible.

Ningakilla
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Ningakilla
64 posts
Nomad

This is a dumb question, but I'll answer it anyway.

Here goes my rant: If anything is possible, it is possible for anything to be impossible, so nothing is possible, while, at the same time, being possible. At the same time, it's not possible, so this question is both a koanic question and a parodoxical at the same time. But if it is possible for a human to fly without equipment, it is also not possible, almost meaning that only a select few human beings would have certain abilities while also not having the said ability. If this answer dosen't satisfy you, read it again. Because that is one thing that is possible. Or is it?

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