Expect the Unexpected?

[susangail]

(I feel like I've posted this before, maybe on another forum....)

Me and three of my friends have had this on-going debate about whether or not you can expect the unexpected. It has literally been going on for years. It isn't a serious debate, at all. It's sort of a joke really. I've lost touch with two of them, so now it's just me and the one that agrees with me (bummer). We started a Facebook group about it, just for fun.

I'm curious as to what others think. So.... Can you expect the unexpected?

[crocofish]

To me, "expect the unexpected" is a reminder that random stuff happens in life.  It's a reminder not to have too much faith that everything will work out according to plan.  That's why we get things like car insurance.  We don't know if we are going to need it or not, but the insurance is there to help cover unexpected costs in case an accident does occur.

[OldGit]

Why not? Christians believe the unbelievable.

[Asmodean]

You can expect the unexpected but that makes the unexpected expected, and then when something truly unexpected happens, you are poorly prepared for it at best.  

[MariaEvri]

what IS the unexpected
I didn't expect teh earthquake last week... or I didn't expect that it would be windy tomorrow...
I guess the unexpected is just the future, which we dont know. So, yeah I expect the unexpected

[McQ]

I totally expected you to start this thread.

Nothing gets by me!  

[Evolved]

Check out this CNN article.  It puts an interesting spin on natural instincts, and perhaps expecting the unexpected:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/06/12/o.gift.of.fear/index.html

[susangail]

You can expect the unexpected but that makes the unexpected expected, and then when something truly unexpected happens, you are poorly prepared for it at best.  

Wait... how do you expect the unexpected if the unexpected is the future that "we don't know"?

[Loffler]

This question bears a striking resemblance to the "problem of induction" in philosophy.

Inductive reason is what we use every day to estimate what's going to happen next. The central assumption of induction is that the future will resemble the past: whe you go to work you assume people will still speak the language as yesterday, the world's keyboards will still be arranged the same as yesterday, your phone number's the same as yesterday, etc. It's a very reliable rule, as 99.9% of tomorrow will be based on what we know about yesterday.

The problem with induction is that it's a tautology. We believe the future will resemble the past because it tends to be true -- we use inductive reasoning to determine inductive reasoning is useful.

We could just as easily do the opposite: assume the future will not resemble the past, "expect the unexpected."

[susangail]

This question bears a striking resemblance to the "problem of induction" in philosophy.

Inductive reason is what we use every day to estimate what's going to happen next. The central assumption of induction is that the future will resemble the past: whe you go to work you assume people will still speak the language as yesterday, the world's keyboards will still be arranged the same as yesterday, your phone number's the same as yesterday, etc. It's a very reliable rule, as 99.9% of tomorrow will be based on what we know about yesterday.

The problem with induction is that it's a tautology. We believe the future will resemble the past because it tends to be true -- we use inductive reasoning to determine inductive reasoning is useful.

Wow, inductive reasoning... I would never have made the connection. (Reminds me of my geometry class in a strange way.) Good point though. In that sense, I guess you can expect the unexpected.

We could just as easily do the opposite: assume the future will not resemble the past, "expect the unexpected."

What a way to live.

[afreethinker30]

You can expect the unexpected but that makes the unexpected expected, and then when something truly unexpected happens, you are poorly prepared for it at best.  

And THAT is why I have adopted you as my atheist buddy!

[McQ]

....of course, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition....

[MariaEvri]

You can expect the unexpected but that makes the unexpected expected, and then when something truly unexpected happens, you are poorly prepared for it at best.  

Wait... how do you expect the unexpected if the unexpected is the future that "we don't know"?

well I expect to be unexpectedly confused by this topic XD

[susangail]

well I expect to be unexpectedly confused by this topic XD

Ha ha nice!

[crocofish]

....of course, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition....

Nooobody expects the Spanish inquisition!

(groan, had to say it)