The Circular Logic Phenomenon

One thing that I have learned during my time at the library is that people will slowly try to lure you into insanity with their faulty logic and reasoning.

For example, at one time, the library allowed unlimited renewals on items. When you renewed an item, it would renew from that very day. So, if a book was due on January 3 and you renewed it on December 27, it would be due three weeks from Dec. 27. Does that makes sense? Well, evidently it didn't to a lot of people. I had one woman get furious with me when I renewed all of her items instead of just one. She insisted I was causing her to "lose" time. I tried to explain that she had unlimited renewals and that she was still getting an additional three weeks but she drew me into her web of circular logic and tried to confuse me.

"By renewing it early, you are causing me to LOSE three days! It wasn't due yet and now I won't have as much time!"

"But...you can still renew it again and you still have three more weeks."

"NO! Don't you see?!! I've just lost three days because of you!"

I started to sweat. She was pulling me into her maze of circular logic. Could she be right? Did I just rob her of three days of delicious bookreading? What am I? Some sort of animal?! Am I mad?!

In the end, I gave up trying to explain it to her. But it really caused me to doubt myself. And that is death for a library worker.

Today, I got into a ridiculous argument with a gentleman who refused to give me his card number to reserve a computer. He shook his head and said, "No, YOU put YOUR card in to reserve the computer for me."

"Uh, I'm not using my card, sir."

"Well, I'm not going to give you MY card number. YOU use YOURS!"

I started thinking that maybe I was on Candid Camera. Then again, why the hell was I standing there arguing about this with this lunatic? Am I going mad?!

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...