Why is it that when you tell a man there are 400 billion stars he will believe you, but when you tell him...?

Question

Why is it that when you tell a man there are 400 billion stars he will believe you, but when you tell him there's wet paint he has to touch it?

Answer 1

Because he cannot touch the stars but he can touch the paint. Faith is only useful when tangibility is lacking.

Answer 2

I think it is because we don't read the sign or we touch it by accident.
At a previous job, it said on the door, use the other door. Less than 50% of the people read the sign and it was at eye level.
We blindly walk thru life expecting doors to open. Why else would they be there?
About blindly believing that there are 400 billion stars, I'd want proof or else I can reason that there may be more or less.
Interesting how few people dont question the stars but need explicit proof of God who made them...hmm...
I'm really surprised that no one yet thought to question the stars part of the Q in the Philosophy section.
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Answer 3

I'd say it is a difference in scope.

400 Billion stars, well, one can see a lot of stars on a clear night, know that isn't the whole number of stars you can see with the naked eye (there being two hemispheres ). So add in the stars you know are there but are too faint to see without a telescope, and one can accept the plausibility of it.

Paint is wet? Well, it's right next to me, so I can directly test it. Besides, it's FUN to touch wet paint!!!

wl

Answer 4

No one in their lifetime can count that many stars in their life time. And it seems obvious and perhaps even true. So we accept it as truth.

Now as a man some dry wet paint looks dry, and some dry paint looks wet. No reason not to test it to see if what the sign said is true or not. We all want evidence one way or the other.

Answer 5

Well, I don't think he believes you so much as he doesn't care because one can see there are lots and lots of stars and the actual number just doesn't matter and he has no way to prove or disprove your statement anyway.

But wet paint, now that is right there, easily tested and open to empirical research. It is within reach and some people just want to know. Not me, I never touch something labeled wet paint, not because I don't want to get paint on me, but because like with the stars; I just don't care.

Answer 6

He sees a sky full of white dots. That is enough. I personally don't touch possible wet paint. I take peoples word for it but there are some who suspect lies and stories I guess.

Answer 7

Man does not seek to disprove that which he cannot prove to be unprovable. With a swift flick of the finger, a man can deem a wall wet or dry. It is within man's physical capability to judge the dryness of a wall. However, one cannot foolishly count the stars in the sky to prove it's multitude, for it is not in our physical manifestation to know, as of yet. Therefore, it's our laziness (in a sense), and INABILITY TO PROVE, which drives man to accept what he ehars about the stars, but not the paint.

Answer 8

Men rule the world...they touch the paint on purpose.

Answer 9

Ryan M has a good point there,but again men are stubborn,they need proof in order to believe if the paint is wet by touching it.

See how much girls need to put with guys? lol

Answer 10

My guy's still out in the back yard counting....with paint stripes across the seat of his pants!

Answer 11

they are gullible when they can't experience, but if they can reach out and touch , either wet paint of a pretty woman or whatever, they have got to touch it...lol.