I am guessing that, as Caulfield knows Mrs. Olsen is already in a bad mood, nothing he can do will make it worse. Egg shells once broken are forever broken
If she’s already mad, the suspense of “will she get mad, or won’t she” is gone. Of course she can get more mad, but he won’t be responsible for getting her there in the first place! And, the full wrath against who or whatever ruins her mood in the first place is already gone.
“Jef Mallett’s Blog* PostsFrazz16 hrs · There’s a scene in ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER MADE, Free Solo, where Alex Honnold describes climbing El Capitan unroped as “low risk, high consequence.” I laugh every time. It’s so funny, of course, because even for someone as skilled as Honnold, there’s nothing low-risk about what he’s doing. But aside from that little detail, I do very much dig his process and try to analyze and approach situations in my own life according to that same ratio. I also try to factor in benefit along with consequence, but then is it a ratio anymore? Is there even such a thing as a three-way ratio, or does it always have to be one numerator vs. one denominator? Help me out, mathematicians. Maybe it doesn’t matter; maybe “benefit” is just one end of the consequence spectrum.
Anyway, I never understood how walking on eggshells could be anything but low risk, low consequence in the literal sense. That’s probably why I’m so bad at it in the allegorical sense.
Concretionist over 4 years ago
In my family that was “walking on eggs” so the metaphorical results would be… messier.
sandpiper over 4 years ago
I am guessing that, as Caulfield knows Mrs. Olsen is already in a bad mood, nothing he can do will make it worse. Egg shells once broken are forever broken
Sanspareil over 4 years ago
Caulfield can never be shell-shocked!
jel354 over 4 years ago
Caulfield figures he has nothing to lose and may as well go for broke.
jpayne4040 over 4 years ago
Then switch it up on him. Come in every day with a great mood! That will really get him!
bonechan over 4 years ago
So is this supposed to be an Easter…. egg joke?
unfair.de over 4 years ago
I’d say no one ever walked on unbroken eggshells. Everyone calls them simply eggs.
Solarbear Premium Member over 4 years ago
If she’s already mad, the suspense of “will she get mad, or won’t she” is gone. Of course she can get more mad, but he won’t be responsible for getting her there in the first place! And, the full wrath against who or whatever ruins her mood in the first place is already gone.
Not the Smartest Man On the Planet -- Maybe Close Premium Member over 4 years ago
…And track broken egg shells and raw egg all over the place. Consider all factors!
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 4 years ago
“Jef Mallett’s Blog* PostsFrazz16 hrs · There’s a scene in ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER MADE, Free Solo, where Alex Honnold describes climbing El Capitan unroped as “low risk, high consequence.” I laugh every time. It’s so funny, of course, because even for someone as skilled as Honnold, there’s nothing low-risk about what he’s doing. But aside from that little detail, I do very much dig his process and try to analyze and approach situations in my own life according to that same ratio. I also try to factor in benefit along with consequence, but then is it a ratio anymore? Is there even such a thing as a three-way ratio, or does it always have to be one numerator vs. one denominator? Help me out, mathematicians. Maybe it doesn’t matter; maybe “benefit” is just one end of the consequence spectrum.
Anyway, I never understood how walking on eggshells could be anything but low risk, low consequence in the literal sense. That’s probably why I’m so bad at it in the allegorical sense.