Saying two percentages that don't total 100%

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Lets say I say to you:

There is a 50% chance I will fire you today.

following that, I say:

There is a 80% chance I will not fire you today.

These percentages don't add up, what would be the priority here and is it possible to translate this into a total of 100%

percentages

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edited Jul 23 at 7:43

asked Jul 23 at 7:19

Josh Malway

11

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  The two events are not necessary compliments of each other. You can certainly first demote someone and then fire them. Or do neither. Or do only one of them.
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:22
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  So what is the aspect that you don't understand?
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:23
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @MattiP. Check edit
  – Josh Malway
  Jul 23 at 7:25
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  If you want to make two complimentary probabilities, you can change the latter to "There is a 50% chance that I will not fire you today."
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:26
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  The answer is simple: People usually do not think that way about probabilities in daily speak. I saw an experiment before the Eurovision Song Contest a few years back. They let people listen to the songs one by one and give a percentage chance of winning after listening to each of them. The resulting percentages all added up to at least $500%$, up to $1800%$ for one of the experiment participants. Don't worry too much about it.
  – Arthur
  Jul 23 at 7:44
  
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

up vote
-2
down vote

favorite

Lets say I say to you:

There is a 50% chance I will fire you today.

following that, I say:

There is a 80% chance I will not fire you today.

These percentages don't add up, what would be the priority here and is it possible to translate this into a total of 100%

percentages

share|cite|improve this question

edited Jul 23 at 7:43

asked Jul 23 at 7:19

Josh Malway

11

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  The two events are not necessary compliments of each other. You can certainly first demote someone and then fire them. Or do neither. Or do only one of them.
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:22
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  So what is the aspect that you don't understand?
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:23
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @MattiP. Check edit
  – Josh Malway
  Jul 23 at 7:25
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  If you want to make two complimentary probabilities, you can change the latter to "There is a 50% chance that I will not fire you today."
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:26
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  The answer is simple: People usually do not think that way about probabilities in daily speak. I saw an experiment before the Eurovision Song Contest a few years back. They let people listen to the songs one by one and give a percentage chance of winning after listening to each of them. The resulting percentages all added up to at least $500%$, up to $1800%$ for one of the experiment participants. Don't worry too much about it.
  – Arthur
  Jul 23 at 7:44
  
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

up vote
-2
down vote

favorite

up vote
-2
down vote

favorite

Lets say I say to you:

There is a 50% chance I will fire you today.

following that, I say:

There is a 80% chance I will not fire you today.

These percentages don't add up, what would be the priority here and is it possible to translate this into a total of 100%

percentages

share|cite|improve this question

edited Jul 23 at 7:43

asked Jul 23 at 7:19

Josh Malway

11

Lets say I say to you:

There is a 50% chance I will fire you today.

following that, I say:

There is a 80% chance I will not fire you today.

These percentages don't add up, what would be the priority here and is it possible to translate this into a total of 100%

percentages

share|cite|improve this question

edited Jul 23 at 7:43

asked Jul 23 at 7:19

Josh Malway

11

share|cite|improve this question

share|cite|improve this question

edited Jul 23 at 7:43

edited Jul 23 at 7:43

edited Jul 23 at 7:43

asked Jul 23 at 7:19

Josh Malway

11

asked Jul 23 at 7:19

Josh Malway

11

asked Jul 23 at 7:19

Josh Malway

11

11

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  The two events are not necessary compliments of each other. You can certainly first demote someone and then fire them. Or do neither. Or do only one of them.
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:22
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  So what is the aspect that you don't understand?
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:23
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @MattiP. Check edit
  – Josh Malway
  Jul 23 at 7:25
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  If you want to make two complimentary probabilities, you can change the latter to "There is a 50% chance that I will not fire you today."
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:26
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  The answer is simple: People usually do not think that way about probabilities in daily speak. I saw an experiment before the Eurovision Song Contest a few years back. They let people listen to the songs one by one and give a percentage chance of winning after listening to each of them. The resulting percentages all added up to at least $500%$, up to $1800%$ for one of the experiment participants. Don't worry too much about it.
  – Arthur
  Jul 23 at 7:44
  
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  The two events are not necessary compliments of each other. You can certainly first demote someone and then fire them. Or do neither. Or do only one of them.
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:22
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  So what is the aspect that you don't understand?
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:23
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @MattiP. Check edit
  – Josh Malway
  Jul 23 at 7:25
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  If you want to make two complimentary probabilities, you can change the latter to "There is a 50% chance that I will not fire you today."
  – Matti P.
  Jul 23 at 7:26
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  The answer is simple: People usually do not think that way about probabilities in daily speak. I saw an experiment before the Eurovision Song Contest a few years back. They let people listen to the songs one by one and give a percentage chance of winning after listening to each of them. The resulting percentages all added up to at least $500%$, up to $1800%$ for one of the experiment participants. Don't worry too much about it.
  – Arthur
  Jul 23 at 7:44
  
  

  
  
  
  

1

1

The two events are not necessary compliments of each other. You can certainly first demote someone and then fire them. Or do neither. Or do only one of them.
– Matti P.
Jul 23 at 7:22

The two events are not necessary compliments of each other. You can certainly first demote someone and then fire them. Or do neither. Or do only one of them.
– Matti P.
Jul 23 at 7:22

So what is the aspect that you don't understand?
– Matti P.
Jul 23 at 7:23

So what is the aspect that you don't understand?
– Matti P.
Jul 23 at 7:23

@MattiP. Check edit
– Josh Malway
Jul 23 at 7:25

@MattiP. Check edit
– Josh Malway
Jul 23 at 7:25

If you want to make two complimentary probabilities, you can change the latter to "There is a 50% chance that I will not fire you today."
– Matti P.
Jul 23 at 7:26

If you want to make two complimentary probabilities, you can change the latter to "There is a 50% chance that I will not fire you today."
– Matti P.
Jul 23 at 7:26

2

2

The answer is simple: People usually do not think that way about probabilities in daily speak. I saw an experiment before the Eurovision Song Contest a few years back. They let people listen to the songs one by one and give a percentage chance of winning after listening to each of them. The resulting percentages all added up to at least $500%$, up to $1800%$ for one of the experiment participants. Don't worry too much about it.
– Arthur
Jul 23 at 7:44

The answer is simple: People usually do not think that way about probabilities in daily speak. I saw an experiment before the Eurovision Song Contest a few years back. They let people listen to the songs one by one and give a percentage chance of winning after listening to each of them. The resulting percentages all added up to at least $500%$, up to $1800%$ for one of the experiment participants. Don't worry too much about it.
– Arthur
Jul 23 at 7:44

 | 
show 2 more comments

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