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| Questions for the intellectual elite | |
Psychologists pride themselves on being able to devise simple questions which
tell a great deal about someone's personality. Why should they have all the fun?
In the age old tradition of armchair psychology here are three questions to
test your rationality,
intellect and
objectivity.
1. Suppose the government passed a law: "Every time you sell an apple
to someone, you have to include three grapes at no extra cost". Who would be
better off?
[A] Fruitsellers or
[B] consumers
2. Suppose the government passed a law: "Every time you buy a tank full of
petrol you have to give one litre back to the service station (with no
discounting)." Who would be better off?
[A] Service station owners or
[B] motorists?
3. Suppose the government passed a law: "Every time you pay someone
to do a job, you have to pay a 15% leave loading?" Who would be better off?
[A] Employers or
[B] employees?
It's not that our government would actually
make any stupid laws of course
- after all, we live a democracy, and we all
know democracies are immune
to such things. Aren't they? Hint: all three questions are trick questions. The answer for all of the
above is
[C] petty government bureaucrats who would use the laws as a means
to further their own careers through compliance monitoring and
enforcement.
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