I passed on the chance to pursue a law degree. Perhaps that was mistake. Nowadays, I often find myself puzzled when reading an article referencing “well known” eponymous laws, or theorems. What, for example, is the Richard Scarry rule? How about, Cunningham’s Law? If you’re not sure, I’ll spare you the need to Google.
Most readers have heard of Murphy’s Law, the Peter Principle or, perhaps, Occam’s Razor, the latter so enamored by writers of cheap detective screenplays. That’s a good start. But consider adding the following laws to your “legal” repertoire:
Cheops Law
Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget. Pyramids, for instance.
Cunningham’s Law
The best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question, but to post the wrong answer.
Joy’s Law
Most of the smartest people work for someone else.
Richard Scarry Rule
Politicians are afraid to offend workers whose jobs are (most often) depicted in children’s books (firemen, farmers, policemen . . .).
Godwin’s Law
As online discussions grow longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 100% (1).
Hanlon’s Razor
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Orgel’s Rule (one of many)
Evolution is cleverer than you are.
Shirky Principle
Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.
Muphry’s* Law
(*An intentional misspelling.) If you write anything criticizing editing or proofreading, there will be a fault (found) in what you have written.
Benford’s Law (of controversy)
Passion is inversely proportional to the amount of real information available.
Parkinson’s Second Law
(I’ve already written a blog about Parkinson’s first law here.) This is his second: “Expenditures rise to meet income.”
Peltzman Effect
Safety measures are offset by increased risk-taking.
I suggest you consider wasting still more time exploring these and other, eponymous sayings at this link on Wikipedia. Your other tasks can wait. After all, if it wasn’t for the last minute, nothing would get done anyway.
Peter has spent the past twenty-plus years as an acting/consulting CFO for a number of small businesses in a wide range of industries. Peter’s prior experience is that of a serial entrepreneur, managing various start-up and turnaround projects. He is a co-founder of Keurig.
