Is the glass half full or half empty? Here is an answer:

It depends on what was last done to it, if you last put more water in, it’s half full. If you last took water out, it’s half empty.

You're correct regarding the context of which one needs to be said at a certain situation, but both are valid to say actually, although you're answer is more correct.

Edited 7/31/2020 23:18:25

it's a way to see it but it's not half empty OR half full, it's more like half empty AND half full.

but what liech says can apply to what we notice first

Edited 7/31/2020 23:43:25

It’s half

^ what I said, in three words.

Liech, what is it then when water pours out the glass at the same time as water pours into the glass?
(Edit: Clarified)

Edited 8/3/2020 04:28:09

How would it do that? The cup would have to be tilted so the water falls out, therefore you couldn’t put more water in at the same time. If you hardly have to tilt the cup then it’s not half empty or half full.

yeah but even if there's a hole in the cup, the water level cannot rise and fall at the same time...

They both mean the same thing.
Half full or half empty, the cup is at half capacity.

It is like waking up in the morning and seeing that it is raining. Someone might say it's going to be a good day, someone else might say it's going to be a bad day.
Your answer reflects your outlook.


"It depends on what was last done to it". No, the situation is objective, your perspective is subjective.

It is like waking up in the morning and seeing that it is raining. Someone might say it's going to be a good day, someone else might say it's going to be a bad day.
Your answer reflects your outlook.

The comparison is not exactly in its place. Liechtensteiner believes that the answer is found on what happened before so as to understand the present state of the glass. This is a nuanced way of looking at it, and it's more accurate, but I did say to him that both can be said actually, if one would not be specific in this.

The reason why your comparison is not in its place, is because your comparison is about judging the rain (at present) based on how one feels that the rain's effect will be (in the future). A farmer will see it as a good day, but a soccer-player who has a match will probably see it vice-versa.

With the glass, the state of it is already known (its past and present are already known). As for the rain, then one still has to see what will happen in the future to understand the state of affairs. Why would one judge the past and present of the glass with his feelings while the state of it is already known? As for the rain, then I can understand why one would judge the future with his feelings based on seeing the rain.

Edited 8/2/2020 16:35:39

ludeqrist, you're talking as if it was one or the other, while it's both at the same time (half capacity).

I know that the glass is both half empty and half full, but we're not talking about that. We're talking about the context.

The comparison is not exactly in its place. Liechtensteiner believes that the answer is found on what happened before so as to understand the present state of the glass. This is a nuanced way of looking at it, and it's more accurate, but I did say to him that both can be said actually, if one would not be specific in this.

I am not a linguist, but in terms of semantics you are still wrong I think.

Following the original post, if you had taken water out, it's not that it's half empty, but rather that it is half emptied.

Regardless, you are missing the point of the exercise. My rain example was the closest thing I could come up with that was similar to the cup example, and fair enough it's not a perfect comparison, but I am still making the same point.

If it's raining, and I am in a good mood, I would still see the rest of my day as something to look forward to.
If it's raining, and I am in a bad mood, I would likely be grumpier than usual and will not be looking forward to the rest of my day.
Assume in both examples that I am not a footballer or farmer, just an ordinary citizen.

My outlook on both days in which it's raining changes depending on my mood. As would be in the case of the glass, I would say it's half empty or half full depending on my mood.

Neither.

Its all full.

Half full of water, half full of air.

@lievxhtensteinar

Hmm, hmm, I got a strange impression you answered yourself in the first post

Following the original post, if you had taken water out, it's not that it's half empty, but rather that it is half emptied.

When something is half emptied, then it's befitting that the glass is called in that situation "half empty." The reason why is because of context. Just like if a glass is completely empty, and I add half amount of water into it, then it's befitting to call it "half full" due to what happened before its present state.

Regardless, you are missing the point of the exercise. My rain example was the closest thing I could come up with that was similar to the cup example, and fair enough it's not a perfect comparison, but I am still making the same point.

If it's raining, and I am in a good mood, I would still see the rest of my day as something to look forward to.
If it's raining, and I am in a bad mood, I would likely be grumpier than usual and will not be looking forward to the rest of my day.
Assume in both examples that I am not a footballer or farmer, just an ordinary citizen.

My outlook on both days in which it's raining changes depending on my mood. As would be in the case of the glass, I would say it's half empty or half full depending on my mood.

If I know what happened to the glass before its present state, then there's no reason for me to judge it based on my mood. If I know the context, then there's no reason for me to alter the context based on emotional feelings. It doesn't make any sense. If you're not aware of what happened before its present state, then I can understand that you would either call it "half full" or "half empty", without thinking about what happened before its present state. But what Liechtensteiner was trying to imply, is that the state of the glass can be most accurately described by looking at the context.

Edited 8/4/2020 22:08:36

You are implying nuances in the meaning of the word that I am not sure really exist. Something being half empty literally means that it is at half capacity. You are saying that the meaning is nuanced, and that we can infer the glass has been half emptied.
If that is true, then why would we ever say that something is half emptied, if this is already implied when we say it is half empty?

You are Dutch, try this half full/empty experiment in Dutch, and let me know if you have still come to the same conclusion.

It's neither, it is completely full, one half with liquid and the other half with air.

@Marcus Aurelius

Yo Marcus, how is yours doing, how's the weather in England? Is the tea good t'day?

If that is true, then why would we ever say that something is half emptied, if this is already implied when we say it is half empty?

A language is broad in expression. When someone says it's half emptied, he's talking about the action. But when someone says that it's half empty, he's talking about the state of the glass, whereby the state of the glass has been described based on the action that happened in the recent past.