John Tobler's Law

Published 19 April 05 03:00 PM | CSharpener
It is time to stake a claim to my own law and its first corollary.  Here they are:

    John Tobler's Law:
        "Wherever in this world you stand, you will soon be in someone's way."

    Corollary to John Tobler's Law:
        "Wherever in this world you want to go, someone will soon be in your way."

I penned "John Tobler's Law" on December 21, 2004 and its corollary on April 19, 2005.  If you are aware that "John Tobler's Law" has previously been published under another name, please let me know as soon as possible.

For many years I have been an admirer of laws and rules, such as those published in Paul Dickson's famous 1978 book, The Official Rules.  Capt. Edward A. Murphy, for example, is frequently blamed unfairly for the operation of a principle he observed in effect at Edward's Air Force Base in 1949, while working as an engineer on Air Force Project MX981.  Capt. Murphy saw something essentially true and stated it in a way that, apparently, no one had before.  His project manager wrote it down and labeled it "Murphy's Law."  Actually, Murphy stated it somewhat differently than we usually see it now (see Murphy's Laws Origin for an excellent history).  Anyway, Capt. Murphy is neither guilty nor responsible for how Murphy's law has caused you difficulty; he just stated his observation and someone else restated it and named it in honor of him.  The law was in operation long before Capt. Murphy existed, as any historian will testify.

I have long thought about these elegant statements of significant observed principle that heretofore went nameless.  And, yes, I have hoped to join the list of those who discovered one.  Now, I believe I have. 

Why can't I just call it "Tobler's Law?"  Simply because "Tobler's Law" already exists, named for W. R. Tobler, in 1976, and also known as "Tobler's First Law of Geography."  That fascinating law states "Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things."   My namesake well deserves to have this wonderful law named after him and he has done the extended Tobler family proud!


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Comments

# Travis Owens said on April 20, 2005 03:49 PM:

I admire your attempt to write your own law, as I feel I have thought up some really quote worthy sentences recently.

But as a (blog) friend, I feel this law is true but a bit weak in it's delivery. The writing of it is simple and to the point, as a law should be. I really don't think it can be written any better. But I do feel it's a bit un-exciting to be a law per se.

# Dave Kiihne said on April 20, 2005 04:59 PM:

I like it, John. It's got just the right combination of simplicity and insightfulness. After reading it one thinks "well, duh, obviously" followed immediately by "well then why didn't I come up with it myself?!"

The closest similar quote I (ok, Google) could find was

"...wherever you stand in a pub you are going to be in someone's way, meaning interrupted conversations, drink spillage and a number of other Pub Traumas."

...found at http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/pumpkin/2002_03_01_pumpkinpublog_archive.html#10891744

Of course, this quote limits itself to pubs and isn't phrased in the form of a law, so I think you're good here.

# John Tobler said on April 25, 2005 01:59 PM:

Fortunately for my claim, the pub case is an instance or special case of John Tobler's Law and, therefore, does not supplant it. Thanks to my old friend, Dave, for finding this example of it, though!

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