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Enigmatic Fortune Cookies
My fortune from lunch:
To you nothing is impossible.
The crowd was divided on whether this was a compliment or insult. Comments are open if you have other examples.
Posted by Alex Tabarrok on April 26, 2006 at 12:42 PM in Food and Drink | Permalink
Comments
May you live in interesting times.
Posted by: efalken at Apr 26, 2006 1:01:47 PM
Are you by any chance one of those anarcho-capitalists? :-)
Posted by: Gabriel Mihalache at Apr 26, 2006 1:03:11 PM
Have you heard of the tradition
of everyone at the meal reading their
fortunes aloud, and adding "in bed"
at the end?
Posted by: Donald A. Coffin at Apr 26, 2006 1:20:19 PM
this reminds me of http://www.zombo.com
my most ridiculous fortune was "you enjoy competitive sports"
Posted by: eric at Apr 26, 2006 1:30:47 PM
Regarding "in bed": during the height of the internet boom, I found that adding "on the internet" to a fortune cookie was likely to yield amusement, if not a VC-fundable business plan.
Posted by: Alex R at Apr 26, 2006 1:45:37 PM
A compliment. It is better to think that and be wrong than to limit oneself from the beginning and be correct.
I prefer my most direct fortune cookie:
"You would make a good trial lawyer."
Gee, thanks.
Posted by: hamilton at Apr 26, 2006 2:36:29 PM
One I kep up all through law school:
It is not too late to change directions
Posted by: tiberius gracchus at Apr 26, 2006 2:39:23 PM
Like too many things, this reminds me of Star Trek.
"Things are only impossible until they are not."
-Picard to Data, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Given that, I'd call it a compliment.
Posted by: David Youngberg at Apr 26, 2006 2:46:12 PM
"He who knows he has enough is rich."
Posted by: Fred at Apr 26, 2006 3:13:07 PM
Is it just me, or are most fortune cookies actually 'aphorism cookies' these days?
Posted by: Paul Dietz at Apr 26, 2006 3:18:20 PM
My favorite cookie fortune was: "The greatest danger may be your own stupidity." I taped that where I could see it regularly.
Posted by: constant at Apr 26, 2006 3:28:55 PM
"Help, I'm trapped in a Chinese bakery."
Posted by: Eli at Apr 26, 2006 3:31:02 PM
"That wasn't chicken."
Posted by: Janine at Apr 26, 2006 3:36:16 PM
A buddy carries this one laminated in his wallet...
"Alas! The onion you are eating is someone else's water lily."
Posted by: Noah Yetter at Apr 26, 2006 3:38:05 PM
My favorite is: "friendship is a sheltering tree"
Posted by: Whitney at Apr 26, 2006 3:58:38 PM
The one I got the other day said:
"All things will now come your way."
Posted by: fjarlq at Apr 26, 2006 4:00:21 PM
I've had a string of good ones lately.
"It's nice to be remembered, but it's far cheaper to be forgotten."
"You look pretty."
And my favorite:
"Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn."
Posted by: Matt Lesko at Apr 26, 2006 4:16:29 PM
"Monkey Man make you believe"
...which should flush out any Penn & Teller fans lurking about.
Posted by: tylerh at Apr 26, 2006 4:34:39 PM
Wouldn't it only be insulting if it read "FROM you nothing is impossible"?
Posted by: Shawn at Apr 26, 2006 4:44:25 PM
"At 20 years of age, the will reigns; at 30, the wit; at 40, the judgment."
As as 21 year old, I'd have to say I take offense at this...
Posted by: Taylor at Apr 26, 2006 6:17:33 PM
How about the old standby
"You will be hungry again in two hours."
Posted by: albatross at Apr 26, 2006 6:23:39 PM
May you live in impossible times.
Posted by: Oskar Shapley at Apr 26, 2006 6:28:21 PM
I like to collect fortunes which do not become any better if you add a certain phrase. My favorite thus far is "You will sleep well at night."
As for the most direct, "You could prosper in the field of medical research." Well, thanks.
Posted by: Swimmy at Apr 26, 2006 6:32:03 PM
"I found that adding "on the internet" to a fortune cookie was likely to yield amusement, if not a VC-fundable business plan."
Ha!
Posted by: David Andersen at Apr 26, 2006 8:26:16 PM
re: aphorisms.
That's a pet peeve of mine. It would be one thing if 'fortune' cookie was always a misnomer. But I remember they used to always give you fortunes.
Posted by: BillWallace at Apr 26, 2006 8:30:57 PM
