A hot-air balloon drifted off course, and the pilot decided to make an emergency descent. Spotting someone on the ground, he shouted down:
“Excuse me! Can you tell me where I am?”
The man below replied,
“You’re in a hot-air balloon, about 50 feet above the ground. Your coordinates are 5°28’17” N and 100°40’19” E.”
The pilot sighed. “You must be a mathematician.”
“Yes,” said the man. “How did you know?”
“Because your answer is perfectly accurate and completely useless. I still have no idea where I am or what to do next. All you’ve done is waste my time.”
The man on the ground raised an eyebrow. “And you must be a manager.”
The pilot perked up. “I am, actually — a top executive. How did you figure that out? Have you seen me on TV?”
The mathematician shook his head. “No need. Let’s review:
— You have no idea where you are or where you’re going, and you rely on people below you to figure it out.
— You ask experts for advice without considering whether you can actually understand the answer.
— When you can’t, you get upset instead of asking for clarification.
— You’re in exactly the same situation you were before, but now you’re blaming me for it.
— And finally, the only reason you’re ‘above’ anyone is because of a big, inflated bubble. If anything happens to it… the fall will be fatal.”
