2+2 Metaphor
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From Chapter 22:
“What does 2 plus 2 equal?”
Did you say 4? Good!
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What else?
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Well, there are infinite answers:
- 2 + 2 = 4
- 2 + 2 = 1+1+1+1
- 2 + 2 = 1.5 + 1.5 + 1
- 2 + 2 = 1.0000000001 + 1.9999999999 + 1
Hmmm… Let’s forget about addition:
- 2 + 2 = 2 x 2
- 2 + 2 = 4 x 1
- 2 + 2 = 8 x 0.5
- 2 + 2 = 40,000 x 0.0001
You know what? Let’s forget about addition and multiplication:
- 2 + 2 = 2 / 0.5
- 2 + 2 = 1 / (1/4)
- 2 + 2 = 65,536 / 16,384
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Let’s forget addition, multiplication, and division:
- 2 + 2 = 5 - 1
- 2 + 2 = 2 - (-2)
- 2 + 2 = (-1,000,000) - (-1,000,004)
Huh.. Let’s forget… uhhh… addition, multiplication, division, and subtraction:
- 2 + 2 = 2^2
- 2 + 2 = 16^0.5
- 2 + 2 = 65,536^(1/8)
Let’s forget addition and multipli… you know what? Let’s just forget about numbers altogether!
- 2 + 2 = a
- second equation:
- a = 4
- 2 + 2 = c
- second equation:
- c = (4!)^2/(4 x 3)^2
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No numbers OR letters? Sure thing!
- 2 + 2 = ?
- ? = 4
- 2 + 2 =😜
- 😜= 4
- 2 + 2 =😜
- 😜= 4+0
What about a SINGULAR number that ISN’T 4?
- 2 feet + 2 feet = 48 inches
- 2 lines + 2 lines = 1 square (sometimes)
- 2 words + 2 words = 1 sentence (maybe)
- 2 lemons + 2 lemons = Who knows how many ounces of lemonade? I certainly don’t.
And the list goes on.
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There are infinite ways to do anything, and infinite paths for getting anything, too. The trick is to not assume anything about the rules until you’ve tried to bend them. (Or sometimes even break them). If you’re wise, you should love it when people tell you that things are impossible.
It’ll give you things to do.