jancancook
Number of posts : 6 Location : VN Member of : VNN Registration date : 2010-12-16
| Subject: Hobson's choice Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:04 am | |
| A Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one option is offered. As a person may refuse to take that option, the choice is therefore between taking the option or not; "take it or leave it". The phrase is said to originate from Thomas Hobson (1544–1631), a livery stable owner at Cambridge, England. To rotate the use of his horses he offered customers the choice of either taking the horse in the stall nearest the door or taking none at all. Cambridge Guildhall has a donated portrait of Thomas Hobson. A plaque underneath the painting describes in a little detail how his livery came to be and the origin of the phrase. To add to the above, he had an extensive stable of some 40 horses and therefore there appeared to be a wide choice when in fact there was simply the choice described above. This was to prevent the best horses always being chosen, which had previously caused those horses to become over used. An ultimatum game is a form of Hobson's choice. build a web sitePromotional flash Drives | |
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