Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Oil and Water

You know how oil and water don't mix?

Oil is less dense than water, so oil will float on top of water. This video demonstrates that very clearly.

We use the analogy of oil and water to describe people or ideas that just cannot get along, to convey that concept that the two things are innately incompatible.
But oil and water can mix. My makeup remover uses this concept to remove my waterproof makeup. All you have to do is shake the bottle hard and for a while, oil and water mixes together and works in harmony to remove my makeup with minimal effort. Pretty impressive for two innately incompatible liquids.

I'm sure you've seen it before too. Petrol spilled on water, creating iridescent colours, like molten rainbow. Again, the contrast between incompatibility and harmony is clear; in fact it is that incompatibility itself creating the beauty and harmonious colours.

I'm sure people are like that too. That's why they say "opposites attract", but perhaps it should also say "opposites complement each other". What is lacking in one is present in the other, and the two opposing nature's working together creates a whole new harmony.

But then again, my sister and I are complete opposites and we fight all the time, so perhaps not all opposites work very well together?


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