Murphy's Law (and corollaries)

1. THE PRIME AXIOM: Anything that can go wrong, will.
2. If nothing can go wrong, something will.
   1. If nothing is going wrong, you have overlooked something.
3. If only one thing goes wrong, it will do maximum damage.
4. Everything will go wrong at one time...
   1. When you least expect it;
   2. When it causes the most difficulty; and
   3. After any warranty expires.
5. Things always go from bad to worse.
6. Mother Nature is...
   1. Not indifferent to intelligence; she is actively hostile;
   2. She always sides with the hidden flaw.
7. Nothing is as easy as it looks; everything takes longer than expected.
8. Having found a solution to a problem after immense work, one usually realizes that it or another was apparent from simple inspection.
9. Errors usually sum in the same direction.
10. Fault cannot be properly placed, or credit properly given, if more than one person is involved.

    [Edited by Tom Field, Franklin Pierce Law Center]

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    ebeling@cs.washington.edu