Discworld logic

Discussion in 'THE DEATH BOOKS' started by warning_i_have_a_blanket, Nov 30, 2006.

  1. i have to say this or i'll burst...

    does anyone else think the whole bogyman thing is pure genius?! i love the child-like logic of "it doesn't exist if i can't see it" is then turned around on the bogyman. it follows the way the whole dicworld logic flows. the bogyman exists because the children believe in it. they stop believing in it if they can't see it so if the bogyman's head is under the blanket it can't see anything so it's not sure if it exists or not in it's own head.

    i don't know if i've i've explained that well enough but i had to write it down to understand it fully. plus i think it's just pure genius! just like the ephebiean tortoise and arrow theory lol.

    that's a point... what's everyone else's favourite bit of discworld logic?
  2. Maljonic Administrator

    I suppose that's the essence of everything on the Discworld really, the belief that keeps everything existing - including the Disc itself.
  3. Pixel New Member

    I think it's the Marthter doing his trick of going "one step beyond" - there is the "Ostrich" theory of putting your head in the sand so no-one will see you extended to the idea of if you have a blanket over your head the bogey-man can't see you and therefore doesn't exist, so if you put a piece of blanket over his head he can't see you, so he thinks he can't exist - I think Angua in one of the books says that it works not for long, but for long enough.
  4. jarmara New Member

    it's not that he doesn't exist if he can't be seen though, it's exploiting child logic that monsters go away when you hide under the blankets. Hide him under the blanket and that's what causes the existential doubt.

    Pendantic aren't I? :p

    and yes, it's genius.
  5. Buzzfloyd Spelling Bee

    [quote:cc0d7dc4a2="jarmara"]Pendantic aren't I?[/quote:cc0d7dc4a2]
    Pedantic.











    :D
  6. TamyraMcG Active Member

  7. jarmara New Member

  8. Faerie New Member

    Child like? I'm 19 and fully admit that I'm far from acting all grown up and I'm not a child either, but if I close my eyes I'm invisible. :)
  9. mr_scrub New Member

    :lol: :lol: :D :D I shouldn't laugh, it's the same for me.
  10. Buzzfloyd Spelling Bee

    Mr Scrub, I don't know if you've noticed the dates on a lot of the threads you've been bumping, but most of them are several months old. (Most of the book-specific forums understandably see a lot less activity than the Boardania forum.) There's nothing wrong with bumping old threads if you have something to say on the matter, but you probably won't get a reply about off-the-cuff remarks that people made so long ago they've completely forgotten about it!
  11. mr_scrub New Member

    I don't really mind I just like to present opinions regardless, but if it annoys anyone I'll stop.
  12. Buzzfloyd Spelling Bee

    I can only speak for myself, but I don't find it annoying - I'm just not likely to answer, and I thought you might wonder why you didn't get any answers.
  13. Alfonz New Member

    i like Rincewinds "I don't want to vollunteer speech" in "the last hero". i just couldn't stop laughing when i read it.
  14. Hsing Moderator

    "I've been living my life for a long time now, and I know how it works. See?"
    One almost wants to see him hugged.
  15. Fuzz New Member

    I like bits of logic that are taken past the extreme. For example, how Klatchian coffee is so strong you pass through sober and come out the other side, and how Death sharpens his scythe to a point where it slices a flame in half and it's sharpness radiates several inches from the actual blade.

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