Comment on Good point

• HyonoKo@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  Very nice analogy.

  source

  • creation7758@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    I’ve always hated this analogy. Why can’t I buy a cake and eat it?

    source

    • rambling_lunatic@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      You can either possess a cake or consume it. Consuming the pastry means you no longer have it.

      source

      • zibzanna@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        I cannot believe I spent my whole life not grasping this phrase. Thank you. I’m embarrassed how much my mind just expanded.

        source

        • -> View More Comments
      • GladiusB@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

        The problem is, that is the cake’s sole purpose. If it isn’t consumed it doesn’t mature and yield more cake. The analogy is a well known idiom, but it sounds a bit short when you think about it.

        source

        • -> View More Comments
    • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      It’s a reference to a very pretty cake. They want to keep the cake on display. But that means they can’t eat it, because eating it would destroy the art. They also want to eat it, because it’s cake. They want to have their cake and eat it too.

      source