Murphy's Law runs up against Murphy's Law

[Joel S. Berson]

At 11/23/2009 11:17 AM, George Thompson wrote:
>Poor Murphy thought that he had come up with a clear and rigorously
>defined Law, but see what's happened to it. . . .
>
>David Carr's media column in today's NYTimes Business section
>enumerates all the mistakes Oprah Winfrey has not made in her
>career, as opposed to various other celebrities and/or businessmen
>who have blundered.  Having run through the list, he quotes a savant:
>"Murphy's Law did not have an effect on her. . . .  She never rose
>past her level of competence.  We see a lot of people in media who
>don't know what they don't know, but Oprah Winfrey always seemed to
>have a clear idea of what she was good at."
>
>If I mistake not, the savant has in mind the Peter Principle, that
>trouble ensues when people are promoted beyond their level of
>competence.  A book with this title was a best-seller and much
>chatted about in the 70s (?) but since forgotten, at least by this
>particular savant.

Yes, _The Peter Principle_, published in 1970 by Laurence J.
Peter.  However, I've not forgotten it, reminded as I was of it
periodically during my employment with a high tech company that shall
remain nameless.

Joel

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