Raymond Smullyan was born 94 years ago in New York.

Mathematician and magician, he has dedicated hundreds of pages to the paradoxes in everyday life, exploring them through clever philosophical dialogues, logical puzzles and magic tricks. His works are all filled with Surprise and the systematic reversal of the clichés. One of his literary tricks is to juxtapose worlds at odds, pointing the spotlight on what bizarre and unusual emerges. This short story depicts a tasty example of it.

Happiness

Jim: Are you happy at this very moment?
John: In one way, yes; in another way, no.
Jim: Can you be more explicit?
John: Yes, I have just heard the first really convincing argument for the immortality of the soul. Now I know for sure that I will survive my bodily death. This makes me very happy. On the other hand, my steak is overdone. (1) 

Notes