The Chicken Question

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What effect does a question about a chicken crossing a road have? The question of why a chicken crossed a road appears to have first been posited in the New York periodical, Knickerbocker in 1847. Written then, as follows, “There are 'quips and quillets' which seem actual conundrums, but yet are actually none. Of such is this: 'Why did the chicken cross the road? Because, it wants to get to the other side” (Anon). The question seems valid, the answer seems apparent. Suggesting a futility of effort in pondering what should be obvious. If the question, and not the chicken, actually causes effect, then the question stands alone and does not need a chicken at all. The chicken could easily be replaced by a cow and the effect of the question would remain the same.

But what is the effect and is correlation valid? A sorrowed individual cries, “Oh Lord, why me?” He surely expects no immediate and vocal response from his deity; the exclamation serves only as a prompt to begin an analysis of his situation, just as the chicken question prompt’s us all to examine our decisions and consequences. So does the chicken question cause inwardness? For the answer one must look for evidence to support the effect. The humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow in his “Hierarchy of Needs” stated that when needs such as: food, safety, love and esteem are met, man has an instinctual need for self-actualization; he needs to fulfill his potential by: work, music, art or whatever he loves to pursue, to achieve “His upper level of capabilities” (Maslow). Most might agree that growth and success require analysis of past success, or failure. The chicken question seems to function as a vehicle for that analysis therefore, causing the effect of inwardness

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...? Is the effect valid? The evidence has been presented, the decision is yours. But one must conclude that the questions effect does not need the Chicken. The question needs you.

Works Cited

Anonymous. "Why did the Chicken Cross the Street." Knickerbocker [New York NY] 1847. Print.

Burnham, Peter Burnham. Capitalism: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics.(Marx). Ed. Unk. Oxford UK: Oxford University, 2003. Print.

Hotherstall, David. History of Psychology. (B.F. Skinner). Ed. Ukn. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. Print.

Simons, Janet A., Donald B. Irwin, and Beverly A. Drinnien. Pshycology-The Search for Understanding (Maslow). Ed. Unknown. New York NY: West, 1987. Print.

Ukn. "Lyrics to Paul Soman's "Slip Sliding Away."" Lyrics. Lyrics Freak. Ed. Ukn. Yahoo.Com, 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. .

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