Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1998 11:18:21 -0700

 
Dilbert's Salary Law: Engineers Vs. Managers 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
Engineers and scientists will never make as much money as business 
managers. Now we have a mathematical proof that explains why 
this is true: 
 
      Postulate 1:  Knowledge is Power. 
      Postulate 2:  Time is Money. 
 
      As every engineer knows, 
 
      Work 
      ---------- = Power 
      Time 
 
      Since Knowledge = Power, and Time = Money, we have: 
 
      Work 
      ---------- = Knowledge 
      Money 
 
      Solving for Money, we get: 
 
      Work 
      ---------- = Money 
      Knowledge 
 
      Thus, as Knowledge approaches zero, Money approaches infinity 
      regardless of the amount of Work done. 
 
 
      Conclusion:  The Less you Know, the More you Make. 
      Note: It has been speculated that the reason why Bill Gates dropped 
      out of Harvard's math program was because he stumbled upon this proof 
      as an undergraduate, and dedicated the rest of his career to the 
      pursuit of ignorance. 




[1997.jul.30]
After applying some simple algebra to some trite phrases and cliches a new
understanding can be reached of the secret to wealth and success.
>
>        Here it goes.
>                   Knowledge is Power
>                   Time is Money and as every engineer knows,
                    Power is Work over Time.
>
>      So, substituting algebraic equations for these time worn bits of
>      wisdom, we get:
>
>                  K = P       (1)
>                  T = M       (2)
>                  P = W/T     (3)
>
>        Now, do a few simple substitutions:
>
>                  Put W/T in for P in equation (1), which yields:
>                  K = W/T     (4)
>
>        Put M in for T into equation (4), which yields:
>
>                  K = W/M     (5)
    
>        Now we've got something.  Expanding back into English, we get:
>
>                  Knowledge equals Work over Money.
>
>        What this MEANS is that:
>
>                 1. The More You Know, the More Work You Do, and
>                 2. The More You Know, the Less Money You Make.
>
>        Solving for Money, we get:
>
>                  M = W/K     (6)
>
>                 Money equals Work Over Knowledge.
>
>        From equation (6) we see that Money approaches infinity as Knowledge
      approaches 0, regardless of the Work done.
>
>        What THIS MEANS is:
>
>                 The More you Make, the Less you Know.
>
>        Solving for Work, we get
>
>                W = M K      (7)
>
>                 Work equals Money times Knowledge
>
>      From equation (7) we see that Work approaches 0 as Knowledge
>     approaches  0.
>
>        What THIS MEANS is:
>                  The stupid rich do little or no work.
>
>      Working out the socioeconomic implications of this breakthrough is
>     left as an exercise for the reader
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------+
>       Hard work has a future payoff.  Laziness pays off now.