You have a broom. You replace the brush, and then you replace the handle. Is it the same broom?

Question

redeyemindtricks · Accepted Answer

I vote that it's actually the same broom, as long as the parts aren't all changed out at once.

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In seriousness...

I mean... think about the Velvet Underground. The band's 4 original members were Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Angus MacLise. By about 6 years later, the 4 members were Doug Yule, Walter Powers, Willie Alexander, and Maureen Tucker.
But, **no one** would have claimed that the band was "no longer the Velvet Underground".
They still had a history, and a vibe, and a tradition AS A BAND.

(If you like pop girl-bands, there are **all sorts** of those who've turned over their entire roster -- e. g., I think the Sugababes actually had 3 or 4 totally distinct lineups.)

If you're a college sports fan... you're technically rooting for an entirely new team every 5 years.
But ARE you?
IS it an entirely new team?
You'd have to be... less than human, to make that claim.

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More generally... This is what a good relationship is, and what a good relationship does.

If you've been in a good rl for any decent period of time... you've probably grown a lot, as people. The "original" two of you probably aren't there anymore, in any literal sense. EVERYTHING gradually changes -- the way you look, the way you think, the way you act, yr values... ALL of it.
But, it's DEFINITELY "the same two people" -- and it's DEFINITELY the same rl/marriage.

In fact, I'm gna go so far as to say that a long-term rl isn't completely fulfilling UNLESS all the "old parts" have gradually been "upcycled".

You just... can't change out all the parts at once. In the same way you can't change yrself in an instant, to suit someone else's needs.
Same goes for the broom. If you try to swap it ALL out at once... it's not the same broom anymore.

TatyanaTheEmpress · Accepted Answer

Err yes it is, if you love that broom, in your heart it will always be the same broom :P

juliaanita · Accepted Answer

Kind of like our bodies. It's not even me when I look in the mirror:)

ObscuredBeyond · Accepted Answer

What was the original in practice, versus what is assigned a specific label. All this proves is that there is a limit to the value of labels.

But I already know that. My "fleet" consists of several machines that I use to carry out my operations.

"Dozerfleet Main" once referred to an HP desktop I got from my aunt in 2003. It later referred to the Dell laptop that replaced that when the old tower died. It later referred to the HP desktop that I bought in late 2010. The laptop was demoted to "Dozerfleet Portable." And when it died and I had to buy a new laptop, "Portable" referred to the new laptop. "2004 Former Portable" became the old one's label - which has little value because most of the old one's parts have since been recycled.

The Kindle I got in late 2014 was initially labeled "Dozerfleet Mobile," until I got a smartphone renamed to that. The Kindle was later renamed the "Ultra-Portable," as it was like having a secondary laptop.

Confused yet?

ThisDudeHere · Accepted Answer

This indeed is a very great question. I would say no it's not the same object but then again, define object. An object is a collection of atoms. The entire planet and everything on it could be labeled as a single object, or a collection of many.

The same way when cybernetic augmentation technology becomes available in the future and Billy will gradually replace all of his biological organs with mechanical ones, at what point does he stop being Billy? If ever? What if at some point, all of his limbs, organs, bones and everything have bee replaced and even his cerebral matter has been gradually replaced with nano-technology, making his brain in to an computer but with all of his original memories (as they were gradually transferred on to it) - does he stop being Billy at some point? Even if literally nothing he was born with is in place EXCEPT for his memories?

cavmanier · Answer

New broom!

Krillanr · Answer

As soon as the broom is altered in any way, it is no longer the same.

Whether it's a new brush, or a new scratch.

If you want to get really technical. The broom that you look at one moment, is not the broom that you would see a second later. Between atoms falling off of or accumulating on the broom, not to mention the changes that the material go through over time just being in light and air, few things are always the same.

But that's getting pretty deep into the physics and existence of a broom.

super147 · Answer

Yes, because the aura of the broom still remains. I know this because I replaced my butt and then replaced the rest of me and I'm still the same person. No, wait, forget that, it turns out that I'm Miley Cyrus now.

Anonymous · Answer

I think this was a interview question at Cambridge University in the UK. The interviewer asked the same question but about a ship.
Lets just say the purpose of the question is to see if you are a good debater.
Because the interviewers response to 'no its not the same boat' was that over a humans lifetime our body cells die and eventually we replace them with new cells. Does this mean you're not the same person?

Toad-1 · Answer

Needs to be meme form :D

ChromAzonyx108 · Answer

Hmm, this reminds me of the ship of theseus

Noxifer626 · Answer

As Plato would have said, you have only changed the physical parts of the broom. You hold a different broom, but you still hold the same broom, because the core ideal of "broom" remains unchanged regardless of what you as an individual may do.

Cosytoasty · Answer

Nah it's not lol. Once both of the original parts have been replaced it's a different broom.

MrMysteryMan · Answer

You might as well go out and buy a new one. Probably cheaper in the long run. It's a broom.

Bvroon · Answer

It's not a matter of if the broom is the same, it is really realizing that there is no broom ;-)

enis_Penvy · Answer

I hope we all don't get swept up in this discussion

meatballs21 · Answer

This is an age-old thing... Trigger's Broom, George Washington's Axe...

Tomsta · Answer

No it isn't the orginial broom enity has been moved somewhere else, what you have is a broom yes but it's not the orignial broom you started with

lazermazer · Answer

Great question. Does it change how you do dusting? if it does then it is changed. It's a broom get over it lolz ;)

Anonymous · Answer

I have a brush I have a handle Ugh! Broom-handle

Anonymous · Answer

Next step: you build a new broom out of the rejected pieces. Which one is now the original?

Jxpxtxr · Answer

It's a new, hopefully better, patchwork broom! :D

kellyg83 · Answer

i think we are the broom in a manner of speaking.

Zorax · Answer

Well, if it works, who cares, it's only a broom :D

Katy16 · Answer

No because you replaced all the pieces

Yumix · Answer

no it's not because you replaced 100% of the parts

CyberToothTiger · Answer

No, it's whole new broom. It's got all new parts.

Saoirse_Nua · Answer

Yes - To me the head is the broom

Waffles731 · Answer

The old Theseus ship dilema

akadatank44 · Answer

Thats retared. Cheaper to buy a new broom 😛

Iron_Man · Answer

I just throw it out and buy a new broom

llorando · Answer

Nope, totally a different broom.

ProbablyTooMature · Answer

There is no broom.

ToruMatsuda · Answer

I wanna be the broom

WhaChaChaKing · Answer

It isn't.

You have a broom. You replace the brush, and then you replace the handle. Is it the same broom?

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