Bottle Imp Paradox
The premise of the story creates a logical paradox similar to the unexpected hanging paradox. Clearly no rational person would buy it for one cent as this would make it impossible for it to be sold at a loss. However, it follows that no rational person would buy it for two cents either if it is later to be sold on to a rational person for a loss. By induction, the bottle cannot be sold for any price in a perfectly rational world. And yet, the actions of the people in the story do not seem particularly unwise.
The story shows that the paradox can be resolved by the existence of one of three types of characters:
- Someone who loves the bottle's current owner enough to sacrifice their own soul for that person.
- Someone who believes themselves to be inevitably destined for Hell already.
- Someone who believes they will never die.
Read more about this topic: The Bottle Imp
Famous quotes containing the words bottle and/or paradox:
“Kelly: I washed my face clean the morning I woke up in your bedroom.
Griff: You got morals in my bedroom?
Kelly: You had nothing to do with it. Nothing! It was your mirror.
Griff: You must have taken a long look.
Kelly: It was the longest look of my life. I saw a broken-down piece of machinery. Nothing but the buck, the bed, and the bottle for the rest of my life.”
—Samuel Fuller (b. 1911)
“When a paradox is widely believed, it is no longer recognized as a paradox.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)