ABSTRACT
Suppose you were at a baseball stadium. It’s the ninth inning, the bases are loaded, and the atmosphere is tense. Suddenly there is an announcement over the speaker system that the game is to be interrupted and the stadium is to be cleared in a calm and orderly manner. Armed riot police run into the stadium, the players clear the field, and the announcer continues to urge people to slowly move towards the exits. What would you think? What would be your first physical response? What would you imagine and feel? Since we were young children, we have been imagining what we would do if something or other happened. All emergency planning involves suppositions. When we did a fire drill at school, we considered, “How would we exit the building if there were a fire?” All planning or anticipation involves suppositions: “What should I bring on that trip?” “Where will I live if I get into that college or get that job?” Many of us have been asked or considered, “What would I do if I won the lottery?” Or we have considered, “What would I do if he asked me out?” or “If I could afford a car or a house, what kind would I buy?” Life is full of such suppositions.
