That Way Anarchy Lies

Then, sometimes, you realise that you have been discussing the wrong pre-Socratic philosopher all along which explains the way the rest of the impromptu discussion panel in the checkout queue stare at you. Although, I suppose that is only to be expected in the more downmarket supermarkets. In the posh supermarkets, people would be too polite to stare at such a faux pas. They’d just take a sudden deep interest in the quantities of organic humus they had in their trolleys or something like that, or begin discussing with their life-partner whether they had enough finger bowls for their next informal dinner party or something equally fascinating.

Obviously, if you had been discussing classical philosophy somewhere else you would expect someone to point out that it was in fact Heraclitus who first made the remark about foreign cheeses and sell-by dates you erroneously accredited to Pythagoras, without the slightest embarrassment and you could have laughed it off, made an apology and moved on. But supermarket checkout queues are not that forgiving, remember the armed siege that broke out in Littlehampton Safeway back in the 1980s when someone with nine items attempted to enter the 6 items or less (sic) queue?

That way anarchy lies (if you take the third exit from the roundabout and then carry straight on to the traffic lights).

Consequently, my advice is that if you are not completely confident about accrediting your philosophical quotation sources, it is probably best to let the wife do all the routine supermarket shopping on her own in future.