School of Thinking

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

Posted on December 24th, 2007 by Michael

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

The problem with this question is in the construction of the question. The question is set-up as two-box thinking rather than three-box, six-box or even ten-box thinking.

Right or wrong? Black or white? Yes or no? All examples of black hat, judgmental two-box thinking.

If you accepted the way the question has been put to you (and you don’t ever have to) and if you answered ‘half-empty’ you would be RIGHT but maybe not as effective as you could be.

Using cvs2bvs you can escape from two-box thinking—change your perception from cvs to bvs—and always choose a better outcome.

••• Click through here to see also The Necker Cube illusion •••

Yes, of course you’ve heard this before many times but it still applies to every single situation–many hundreds of them–that come your way every day of your conscious life.

Knowing this is not as important as actually doing it.

So, the important questions are:
How often each day can YOU use cvs2bvs?
How many times will you escape from YOUR
cvs today?
How can YOU use this today?

Leave a Comment




36 Responses to “Is the glass half-full or half-empty?”


  1. Trev Says:

    Oh btw ,the glass is half full when one has finished drinking it. It is half empty when one is still drinking it and desires more.

  2. Trev Says:

    As many times as you like
    Not sure
    To change my outlook in general from stuck in my thinking to escape my CVS.

  3. pvsathi Says:

    Majority of Likes and Dislikes in Life can be Soved by CVS2BVS.
    What a Brilliant Easy Suggestion!
    Normally, average human being do not enjoy the Full Life what God has Given. Why?
    He do know Easy, Possible Solution.
    Thanks to Michael and CVS2BVS.

  4. Mosaid ELNEJAR Says:

    CVS2BVS allows to have not just one answer (half-full or half-empty) you can see it from another corner, it let you escape from duality (right/wrong, good/bad ….)

  5. martin Says:

    I did not know about CVS2BVS conciously.i never used it frequently.I will be using it in my daily life in everything i do.A good example in using this excellent technique is by changing any negative attitude which are cvs perceptions to positivity which is/are a bvs result

  6. Denis Says:

    I can use CVS2BVS as often as I think about it .
    My aim is to use it at least ten times daily untilit is my habitual mode of thinking.
    I can use it in my work tro make my future ten times brighter.

  7. Denis Says:

    I am using CVS to BVS frequently. I practice in the car driving and try to generate 10 new ideas with each question I come up with. I think it’s making my thinking clearer and also enabling me to be more optimistic.
    Tomorrow I will set up several lesson plans and then try to make them 10x better.

  8. Paula Says:

    I will attempt to use cvs to bvs at least once a day at the beginning both in my personal and professional life and then this will increase. I think I have tried to apply these principles before but not actually using this distinct tool so I think the tool will help me to use it more often.

  9. Denis Alexander Says:

    I’ve been using cvs 2 bvs reguarly for some time about two years I think . What strikes me is that every time I get to a good bvs.It becomes the cvs . so there is and never can anend to this practice . Until my glassis completely empty.

  10. Lawrence Lee Says:

    Yes; not just either/or
    but both/and and more …. see it in multi-perspectives

  11. kit Says:

    Switching from, as it has been termed, CVS to BVS, takes one away from the present moment. ESCAPE? SEARCH? = THINK? The present is the only truth that exists. Non-acceptance of the present moment creates conflict in the mind. Acceptance of the present moment allows one to then see as it is, within the individuals perception of course.
    Escape? I believe ACCEPT. Search? I believe SEE in the present moment = Think? I believe ACT in that moment.
    Thinking involves past behaviours, the conditioned mind, the Ego.
    Cooperate with the movement of life, internally, always. When the mind says a moment of life is ‘BAD’, cooperate with that moment and it will dissolve.
    I feel it is simply a case of choosing between feeling good or feeling bad in this life. If we feel ‘bad’ about something, what, beyond our control, are we not accepting? Why, if we do not have ‘control’ over a ‘bad’ situation, why would we waste one minute feeling ‘bad’ about it?
    Once you completely accept the situation, thing, behaviour, you then act.
    Negative reaction is weakness. Positive action is strength.
    Power has no limitation. Force, on the other hand, is exhaustive.
    This is just my understanding.

  12. hrobson Says:

    cvs2bvs can be used everytime you are aware of its existance as a tool then a habit in planning your decision for the day,
    to develope a future strategic plan we must escape the cvs to find a 10x bvs whenever one needs to grow start with mantra cvs2bvs 100xdaily, preferably as a start to the day,

  13. John deChadenedes Says:

    We can’t tell by looking at it whether the glass is half-full, half-empty, just about right, or possibly not even a glass at all. We also have to make conscious the values we bring to the question before we can meaningfully answer the question. If we’re out of wine and the party is winding down, “half-full” might be the answer. If as the host we’re trying to make sure every guest’s glass stays full, “half-empty” would be more appropriate. If we’re sampling rare vintages of port then the glass might be “just right” since you’d never fill it to the top with such a wine. But I’m not actually looking at a glass. I’m seeing a collection of pixels on my computer screen that provides a crude two-dimensional representation of what might be a stemmed glass with some red liquid in it. The question “Half-full or half-empty?” doesn’t even apply. (You can see how useful it’s been to have a degree in philosophy, can’t you?)

  14. Beatty-Anne Says:

    The point is whether we see opportunity or trouble…

    Would it be considered negative if I were to say that the glass is half empty and I’m savouring every last drop of what’s left? My take on this – I am a realist, not a pessimist.

    I can see opportunity or good in both statements “cvs2bvs”.

  15. Alex Says:

    Perception is reality. If your perception of the situation allows you see beyond the liquid in the glass or even the glass for that matter, then your reality will be far more colourful than that of someone who sees only the 2 alternatives given.

    I’m only at the stage of repeating cvs2bvs everyday, I haven’t yet hit me strides with escaping and searching as often as I’d like. I’ll escape when I feel the need.

  16. School of Thinking » Blog Archive » TED TALK: Optical illusions show how we see Says:

    [...] Does your brain know the difference between a glass that is half full or half empty? [...]

  17. Keith Says:

    The glass could be half empty if you like what’s in it and want more, but it could be half full if you started off with nothing. What if you don’t actually like red wine? There is no correct way to view this image.

  18. kofi Says:

    you can use cvs2bvs almost as many times as you wish on a daily basis 2.i am going to try as much as 10xs 3.the issues related to underdevelopment

  19. Emma Says:

    Unfortunately, in order for myself to use cvs2bvs, I have to be contantly reminded visually, which means that I often neglect to use cvs2bvs unless there is a postEd blatantly staring at me. When I do remember, however, I am proud to say that escape and search has worked for me. I plan on comparatively using the escape and search method today with moving ahead on work and my own thinking ideals, to which, I feel, everyone would care to read the elaboration to, but I will spare anyway.

  20. Ron Says:

    Will Adams hit the nail on the head. I was about to post the 100% full option in this post until I read his comment. I’m curious where he came across the idea. My first exposure was in a book called Cracking the Millionaire Code.

    When you realize the significance of the concept, you realize that there are many things in life that are very different from what you may currently believe (and hence the need for the cvs2bvs concept)

  21. Will Adams Says:

    The glass is comepletely full. 50% water & 50% air. The glass can not be naturally “empty”.

  22. krishna Says:

    People involved in sales should be good in cvs to bvs and especially in Mumbai it is more successful. It is not easy for a layman adjust, but if he can involve his work pattern and mix it with personal life than perhaps he too can be successful !

  23. john buchanan Says:

    cvs to bvs and the number of times it is practiced can be challenging and very frustrating

  24. patrick Says:

    If you respond “the glass is half-empty”, this implies scarcity and negativity. If you respond “the glass is half- full”,this implies abundance and positivity.
    How you perceive the world defines ones “reality” of the world.

  25. Damian Hopton Says:

    what does half full or half empty mean? could this be as a result of our conditioning from childhood

  26. Lawrence Lee Says:

    Can we see that it is “both”, half empty and half full.

    And the answer is as we wish, depend on how we choose to view and to express our position.

  27. Joanne Keown Says:

    A great reminder for the beginning of a new year. Thanks.

  28. Rashmi Says:

    CVS to BVS really is effective with all questions of the sort relating to life challenges or situations. REPITITION is the key.

  29. Howard Says:

    Having studied with the SOT for the past year has been a wonderful adventure, because the more I am envolved in looking at the CVS from the potential of a BVS, the more I see that ‘nothing’ is absolute. There is always a BVS. I am using this today to create a BVS that will inspire me to incorporate that BVS as the automatic response to the CVS.

  30. Jennifer Miller Says:

    Are we filling the glass, or emptying it? Is there more left to pour in, or is that all that there is? So many questions.

  31. Paul Says:

    This powerful thought can gracefully takes you to a better place.

  32. Harry Says:

    The number of times you actually practice using bvs, the more likely you will be able to apply it in real life situations when it would be needed most.

  33. Tyrone Says:

    How many times can I use cvs2bvs?
    There are 60 secs in a minute, 60mins in an hour, 24 hrs in a day.

    The potential is huge….

  34. Susan Says:

    I am using this today by asking myself in any given situation, “What is a bett er view of this situation?” and then waiting for an answer.

  35. Ruk Says:

    Stimulating effect on thought through CVS2BVS. Instead of the binary perception we can look at the glass and say ‘ there is space to fill it to the brim’.

  36. School of Thinking » Blog Archive » The Necker Cube and Human Perception Says:

    [...] « The Right Brain vs Left Brain test (?) Is the glass half-full or half-empty? » [...]