The Origin of Murphy's Law

Definition:		[n]  humorous axiom stating that anything that can go wrong will go wrong

"If there are two or more ways to do  something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will  do it."

So who was Murphy anyway?

Born in 1917, Edward A. Murphy, Jr. was one of  the engineers on the rocket-sled experiments that were done by the United States  Air Force in 1949 to test human acceleration tolerances (USAF project MX981).

One experiment involved a set of 16 accelerometers mounted to different parts  of the subject's body. There were two ways each sensor could be glued to its  mount. Of course, somebody managed to install all 16 the wrong way around.

Murphy then made the original form of his pronouncement, which the test  subject (Major John Paul Stapp) quoted at a news conference a few days later.

Within months, "Murphy's Law" had spread to various technical cultures  connected to aerospace engineering, and finally reached the Webster's dictionary  in 1958.

Tragically (and perhaps typically), the popular cliche we call "Murphy's Law"  was never uttered by Edward Murphy.

Murphy's Law applies to Murphy's Law, too

The traditional version of  Murphy's Law ("anything that can go wrong, will") is actually "Finagle's  Law of Dynamic Negatives." 

Examples:

You will always find something in the last place you look.

No matter how long or how hard you shop for an item, after you've bought it, it will be on sale somewhere cheaper.

The other line always moves faster.

In order to get a loan, you must first prove you don't need it.

Anything you try to fix will take longer and cost you more than you thought.

If you fool around with a thing for very long you will screw it up.

If it jams - force it. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.

When a broken appliance is demonstrated for the repairman, it will work perfectly.

Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will use it.

Everyone has a scheme for getting rich that will not work.

In any hierarchy, each individual rises to his own level of incompetence, and then remains there.

There's never time to do it right, but there's always time to do it over.

When in doubt, mumble. When in trouble, delegate.

Anything good in life is either illegal, immoral or fattening.

Murphy's golden rule: whoever has the gold makes the rules.

Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.

A Smith & Wesson beats four aces.

In case of doubt, make it sound convincing.

Never argue with a fool, people might not know the difference.