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Sunday, April 4, 2010

Main chahe yeh karoon main chahe woh karoon meri Murphy!

We've all heard that rules are meant to be broken, but what we are talking about here is a universal law which has acquired a status that is above all such petty statements. Basically, this law can never be "broken", because it is given (negative) credit for practically every situation one faces. I am quite intrigued with its originator, and if asked to hazard a guess, am sure he would have been a great lawyer (wait, was he a lawyer in the first place? -googles Murphy's Law, and is shocked to discover he was an Aerospace ENGINEER!- Since when did engineers start making laws? Was that the first and the last time an engineer made a law?).

Those who still havent figured out towards whom my obvious reference is, well you probably need a Murphy Law of your own! Welcome to the world of Murphy.

Defining Murphy's Law would be a pain, simply because it is a general term used for any situation whatsoever! Come to think of it, in which scenario is Murphy's law actually applicable? It definitely wasn't intended to be used as a filler for any problem we face, was it? -- Stuck in traffic when you are already late for your flight? Murphy's law. Missed your bus by half a minute when you need to attend a scheduled meeting in office? Murphy's law. The exam you knew you would ace gets postponed? Murphy's law. A bunch of empty cabs go by when you don't need one, and none when you are looking to hire one urgently? Yep, you guessed it right; Murphy's Law yet again!

I have come to pity poor old Murphy. Not only has his law been turned into a joke, what he probably did write in the first place has very conveniently been modified and altered to suit the people. So is Murphy's law the scapegoat, or is it the logic behind a pathetic situation we happen to find ourselves in? Laws generally form the reasoning behind certain occurences, but the common person these days uses this particular law in a tone which borders more on irritation than admiration.

Noticing that Murphy has become an integral part of our daily life, why do we not award him with a post-humous Nobel Prize or something? I reckon he too deserves accolades which the more celebrated names of his time, such as Newton and Einstein did. And you know why? Because although there is absolutely no formula to memorize, no complexity involved in understanding it, no trick questions asked on it, and no exams based on it, YET when it strikes, it still manages to screw us!

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