Can You Really Give 110%

Can you really give anything 110% ? This phrase really bugs me and it has become ubiquitous in our culture. I think it was invented in a deodorant commercial so it obviously has credibility with the washed masses but I can't help but gag on the ill-logic of it.

I recently started a new business. As a stay at home parent you need to work for yourself one way or another if you want to get a respectible return of cash and self respect from the rubbery schedule life has handed you. I used to be in the business of selling mortgages but that morphed into a full time, straight commission job as grief counselor. Last year I was in the business of losing money. This year I am learning from the mistakes of 2009 and starting a new business that WILL make money and I WILL enjoy doing. As I thought about how successful this new endeavor would be I muttered to myself that I was 100% sure of success ... dare I say 110% sure? No, in fact to my logic 110% would be 10% UN-sure. Follow my logic.

100% is to the described item or attribute a finite and real description. It is the same at 360 degrees are in a circle. If you are 110% of a circle you are really 36 degrees away from being a complete circle. The further you get from 100% of anything the further you are getting away from what you are describing. This is science, not faith people.

You see, if you are as completely sure, or committed or full of it, whatever, you would be 100%. Right? So to go beyond that real 100 you would need to push into hypothetical optimism for the next 10. Do ya' follow? Since optimism presumes doubt those extra 10% would thus be expressions of doubt. Over the years people have stretched the expression to the ridiculous, as in "I am 200% positive that baby isn't mine Maury". Well, by my well oiled logic, to be 200% sure means you are 100% unsure. Look at that baby ... THAT'S YOUR BABY!

So the next time you see some sweaty butt-munch on TV professing to the camera that " I give it 200% and so does my deodorant", you can be 100% sure that he never gives his best... and he stinks too.