The Complex Event Processing Blog

Jojuba Oil and Positive Thinking in the Jungle

I received an email a number of days ago from someone who was concerned that another blogger was painting me as “a negative person.”   My impression was that they hoped I would comment in reply.

In thinking how to respond, or if to reply at all, I thought of the irony of the “you are being negative” counter argument in a technical debate and many analogies came to mind.   I will share the following fun filled analogy with you, a short story I will call, Snake Oil and Positive Thinking in the Jungle.

A group of people are making their way across a vast jungle.   The jungle is full of dangerous creatures lurking along the way, behind trees, underneath rocks, and inside dark foliage.   The travelers are weary from their journey and the stress of watching out for all the dangers they have to deal with on a minute-by-minute basis.   There is no escape from the stress of the jungle and their fear of the many creatures who live there.

Our travelers stop at a village along the way and meet a man who says he can solve the problems of travel in the deep jungle.   The man stands on top of a large wagon and asks all the travelers to gather around.  He explains that rubbing their bodies with the oil of a certain powerful (… and very hard to find …) plant (… that only he has, of course, the Jojuba plant …) will create a powerful scent that will repel even the most dangerous creatures of the jungle.  If they purchase a large bottle and apply the oil three times a day, especially after a bath ( … which is hard to find in the jungle anyway!  … ), they can travel free of worry.

Of course you already know where the story is heading, but I want you to complete the analogy because it might surprise you in the end ….

A man appears from his shop and begs the crowd of weary travelers not to listen to the man with the Jojuba oil   He says that the oil does not work and many travelers who have applied the oil end up eaten by tigers or bitten by poisonous insects.   He begs the people to listen to him, for he has seen ( … over and over … ) what happens to people who buy the oil and venture into the jungle, confident they are safe.

The leader of the travelers, full of stress from all the questions and concerns of his flock along the way, tell the concerned man that he should not be so negative.   After all, the leader says, many people have purchased the oil and they have not perished.   In fact, the man says, “you are just being negative because you are stuck home with your wife and children and cannot travel on these long jungle voyages in search of treasure.  Think positive old man!”

Most of the travelers in the crowd do not know which of our village characters to believe.   This is the first journey across the jungle for many of them and both men seem passionate in their words and honorable in their deeds.   The travelers begin to argue back and forth “Hey, you are too negative!  Go back to your home and leave us!  We need something to help us through the deep jungle.  What have you offered us?   A plan.  A free map.  Another idea.  Ha!  What special oil do you have to protect us!?”

There are other travelers who shout out, “Hey, listen to that man!   He knows what he is taking about.  Jojuba oil does not repel the creatures of the jungle.  In fact, it gives travelers a false sense of security along the way.  Folks who use the oil have been known to sing loudly along the way, free of worry!  Be careful!”

Back and forth they argue, but in the end, many in the crowd decide that there is nothing to lose.  Why not buy the Jojuba oil?  After all, it is not that expensive (except for those who lost all there money in the crisis back home, but that is another story … )  and the man selling it is handsome enough with a nice smile.  He  also has a wife and a family and is still alive, so maybe there is hope with Jojuba.  Let’s think positively and buy the oil, apply it as directed, and be on our way!  At least we don’t have to listen to the arguments anymore.

Full of positive thinking, and free from two men arguing, the travelers continue their long journey though the vast and dangerous jungle.  Many actual sing along the way and feel much better with the oil ( ... and it does not smell so bad, actually … ).

Maybe the Jojuba oil will work?  Maybe it will not?   But, it just might work!   So, the travelers buy more just in case it does work because they might not have a chance to buy it along the way!

Anyway, the traveler think to themselves, the older man without the Jojuba oil had a nice map how to get across the jungle and avoid the most dangerous areas.  He gave it to out for free.

So I ask  you, who was smarter, the man who wrote a book on Jojuba, sold vast quanties of Jojuba oil and lives in an impressive house on the finest street in the village, or the man who gave away his map for free and lives is a smaller home quietly by the edge of a lazy river?