jdege wrote:xd ED wrote:jdege wrote:So, you're in the woods, stumbling through a blizzard, in the process of freezing to death.
You find a cabin, and in it you find a stove, a fireplace, an oil lantern, a candle, and just one match.
Which do you light first?
The match.
Which gun do you use? The closest. And you carry that while you get something better.
I honestly thought that, in keeping with the tenor of the thread, you had posted an old riddle.
But my serious answer would be: whichever one I could most easily light reliably, and have stay lit.
The analogy breaks down because in the home defense situation, fast response time is the premium.
In yours, the lack of a second match is of the utmost importance.