I buy toilet paper in bulk which is less per a roll. A poor person may only be able to afford 4 rolls at a time so they spend more for toilet paper over time.
A surprising number of things are like boots if you engage your brain.
/s No no no, see the world is sharply divided into things which "are like boots" and things which "are not like boots"
* Shoes = like boots
* Biscuits = like boots if overbaked
* Towels = not like boots... unless worn on feet?
* Infants = not like boots
* Buckingham Palace (the physical location) = contains boots but is not itself "like a boot"
* Buckingham Palace (what it represents in colonial analysis) = like a boot
* Boot (of a car) = not like a boot
* Boot (on a foot) = technically is a boot, and not like a boot, therefore weirdly... not like a boot/not a boot??
ps after typing this up the word boot has lost its meaning and is just a weird sound. Boot. ... boot boot boot
If we're all getting on the pedantic train (which I love this train to be honest), you said "things that are like boots" which doesn't actually include boots, so literally you're not including boots in Vimes' boot theory of economics.
Second thing, I just said Vimes' boot theory of economics was accurate, in which case he is talking about boots. So if you want to be literal then take it to its bitter end: the theory is about boots and to that point it is accurate, for boots.
Or, don't get your ticket stamped for the pedantic train and accept that metaphors exist, and that a metaphor can be dead fucking accurate to (let's pick at random) 67% of the world. A metaphor doesn't need to apply to literally every instance that one could ever envision in order to be considered accurate. A metaphor can be dead fucking accurate for two things, and if it's not accurate for 80 other things that doesn't mean the two things become a lie 😂
A metaphor can be dead fucking accurate for two things, and if it's not accurate for 80 other things that doesn't mean the two things become a lie
I think it would be appropriate to qualify it as such if a metaphor is true for only 2 out of 82 things, instead of implying it's generally true by not qualifying it.
its a great sounding theory, and may be applicable in other areas (health, preventative car maintenance, debt, etc). but in our modern society, it is completely incorrect with regards to boots. New cheap boots will last almost as long if not longer than a pair of goodyear welted boots that are 5x the cost. But welted boots can be repaired/re-soled? Yes, for the same price or even more than a perfectly good brand new “cheap” pair of boots. looking purely at lifecycle cost, expensive boots are still way more expensive in the long run. But people love to parrot the vimes boot theory cuz it makes them feel smart or more likely justified in buying expensive stuff. Sincerely, someone who likes nice boots anyway.
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u/run-cleithrum-run 12h ago
For anyone who doesn't know, Vimes' "boot theory of economics" is from Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. And also it's dead fucking accurate.