McElligot's Rule

I've read a lot of Dr Seuss books over the years and McElligot's Pool is one of my favourites, in part because of this passage, spoken by a boy after being told he's wasting his time fishing:

"Hmmm ..." answered Marco,
"It may be you're right.
I've been here three hours
Without one single bite.
There might be no fish ...

"... But again,
Well, there might!"

"Cause you never can tell
What goes on down below!

"This pool might be bigger
Than you or I know!"

Testers, I give you McElligot's Rule*: when you're chasing a might on the basis of a never-can-tell, it's worth putting your rod aside now and again to think about what you're tying to achieve, how, why and for who.

* OK, heuristic, but we're rhyming today.
Image: Amazon

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