What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the hypothetical scenario of what individuals would pursue if they were guaranteed not to fail. Participants share a variety of personal aspirations, creative endeavors, and whimsical thoughts, reflecting on their desires and ambitions in a light-hearted manner.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a desire to write and publish novels, with one suggesting they would aim for multiple publications.
  • Others mention pursuing personal goals such as raising children, becoming a benevolent leader, or eliminating corruption globally.
  • Several participants propose humorous or fantastical ideas, such as moving mountains, playing the lottery, or becoming a superhero.
  • A few contributions reflect on the nature of failure and success, with one participant contemplating the challenge of intentionally failing.
  • Some participants share thoughts on relationships and personal fantasies, including humorous takes on romantic pursuits.
  • One participant mentions a serious ambition to prove the Riemann Hypothesis, highlighting a mathematical aspiration amidst the lighter contributions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a variety of individual aspirations without reaching a consensus. The discussion remains open-ended with multiple competing views and whimsical ideas presented.

Contextual Notes

Some contributions reflect personal humor and light-heartedness, while others touch on deeper aspirations. The nature of the responses varies widely, indicating a broad range of interpretations of the initial question.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in personal aspirations, creative thinking, or light-hearted discussions about ambition may find this thread engaging.

  • #31
turbo-1 said:
Why impregnate them all? Why not just impress them to the point that they would throw themselves at you and hang themselves on you like ornaments? (Just a suggestion).

what good is a bee that isn't pollinating flowers? reproduction is the closest thing to immortality we've got. i figure there's a reason men seek out the most attractive women, they've got the best genes. so i would get the chance to spread my seed amongst a diverse group of the most perfect women on earth. they're also likely to retain the means to properly rear the little brats.

and because new ones mature on a regular basis, i'd have an activity to keep me busy for the rest of my days. i can't think of a better job to have, really.
 
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  • #32
Another mission to accomplish is learning the people what the reason is of all wars and learning how to avoid that.
 
  • #33
Want to hear something morbid? My first thought was suicide. I might need a shrink.
 
  • #34
Math Is Hard said:
shh! Don't let my short-tempered husband hear you. :eek:

Husband? Oh, great... another sexual fantasy blown to hell...
 
  • #35
Math Is Hard said:
shh! Don't let my short-tempered husband hear you. :eek:

Its Ok I can't possibly fail. :wink:
 
  • #36
Danger said:
Husband? Oh, great... another sexual fantasy blown to hell...

Since when husbands/boyfriends prohibit sexual fantasies?

Unless you hoped MIH is a virgin :smile:
 
  • #37
Borek said:
Since when husbands/boyfriends prohibit sexual fantasies?

Unless you hoped MIH is a virgin :smile:

best one I've heard all year
 
  • #38
Hmmm, how about this: answer every Physics Forum homework question with "I believe you'll figure it out if you think about it a little more."

Evo said:
Play the lottery.

Actually, that's the first thing I thought of too.
 
  • #39
Redbelly, I love the festive headgear!
 
  • #40
Evo said:
Redbelly, I love the festive headgear!

Aren't those worms?
 
  • #41
I am not sure I like the idea of green worms on my head
 
  • #42
Oh its a Borek tribute now. Sorry. :redface:
 
  • #44
Once a year it happens to everyone.
 
  • #45
tribdog said:
best one I've heard all year

Don't make me get the gun.

http://forums.intpcentral.com/images/smilies/banned.gif
 
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  • #46
I would prove the Riemann Hypothesis ;-)

Along with making a great contribution to the mathematical community, I'd win the Clay Mathematics Institute $1,000,000.00 award, and probably the Fields Medal and maybe even a Nobel Prize (if they could apply that to something other than pure mathematics).
 
  • #47
Evo said:
Redbelly, I love the festive headgear!
Don't you recognize Borek's green foil wig?
 
  • #48
Borek said:
Since when husbands/boyfriends prohibit sexual fantasies?
Since the last time I had a gun shoved up my nose by one. (Okay, see... I always try to live out my fantasies...)

Borek said:
Unless you hoped MIH is a virgin :smile:

For some unfathomable reason, that absolutely never crossed my mind.
 
  • #49
Re: What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Something stupid, like seeing if it nonfailure could include convincing myself I would fail.
 
  • #50
Meh...
 
  • #51
It would be boring if you knew you would succeed. It would take the challenge out of everything. Half the satisfaction of succeeding at anything is knowing that there was a chance that you could have failed, and you didnt. I think I would waste away if that ever came to be.
 
  • #52
Meh?
 
  • #53
chaoseverlasting said:
It would be boring if you knew you would succeed. It would take the challenge out of everything. Half the satisfaction of succeeding at anything is knowing that there was a chance that you could have failed, and you didnt. I think I would waste away if that ever came to be.

It would be nice to not face any obstacles any more. And remember only you can't fail there will still be plenty of failure around you to keep things excited.
 
  • #54
chaoseverlasting said:
It would be boring if you knew you would succeed. It would take the challenge out of everything. Half the satisfaction of succeeding at anything is knowing that there was a chance that you could have failed, and you didnt. I think I would waste away if that ever came to be.
Perhaps it would be less fulfilling.

On the other hand, one could try to fail at other tasks to which tribdog alluded. :rolleyes:


But then if one tries to fail, and succeeds in failing, it that success?
 
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  • #55
realistically: id apply to berkeley haha

other wise, if i knew i couldn't fail, id try to fail. making me succeed at failing thus creating some sort of paradox. correct? sorry, its way to early :(
 
  • #56
tribdog said:
It would be nice to not face any obstacles any more. And remember only you can't fail there will still be plenty of failure around you to keep things excited.

:-p I ace all my exams with a perfect score. It would completely ostracize me from the rest of my class, but then that's more or less already happened. :-p
 
  • #57
hmmm...seeking the secret of living healthy & happy forever!
 
  • #58
I'd bring it up but Cy would smite me.
 
  • #59
Be an ologist of oligies (are they words)? or just be able to remember stuff.
 
  • #60
Math Is Hard said:
What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

I think I would try to write and publish a novel.

How about you?

Love people with all my heart.
 

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