“The impossible often has a kind of integrity which the merely improbable lacks.”
— Douglas Adams
Simplified Meaning:
When something seems impossible, it has a certain honesty and straightforwardness because everyone agrees that it can't be done. On the other hand, something that seems unlikely but still possible might lack that clear-cut truthfulness because people can argue about whether it could happen or not. Imagine a scientist who says they will find a way to make humans live on Jupiter – this seems impossible, and everyone knows it can't happen with what we know today. It’s clear and there are no mixed messages. But if someone says they will invent a pill that makes humans live 200 years – that seems unlikely, but not entirely out of the question. Some people might believe it, and others won't. The idea of living on Jupiter has more integrity because it is straightforwardly impossible, while the idea of the pill is muddled because it's just improbable. We can apply this in our own lives by recognizing when a task is truly impossible and being honest about it. Instead of chasing something that can't be done and wasting energy, we could focus on achievable goals that, while challenging, are within our reach. Understanding these distinctions helps us set realistic goals and manage our expectations better.
