numbers add up to nothing

One beautiful, starry night, a fisherman was ferrying a scholar in his boat. The scholar was gazing at the constellations and suddenly asked the fisherman:Do you know anything about astronomy?’ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘Then, my poor chap,’ said the scholar, ‘you have lost a quarter of your life. Do you know anything about physics?’ ‘No, nothing.’ ‘Well, you have lost two quarters of your life. But perhaps you know something of chemistry?’ ‘Absolutely nothing, I’ve never heard of it.’ ‘What ignorance! You have lost three quarters of your life.’ Meanwhile, the sky had begun to cloud over. Suddenly a storm broke, the sea grew increasingly turbulent and a gale threatened. 
‘Do you know how to swim, Mr. Scholar?’ asked the fisherman. ‘No, I don’t.’ ‘Well then, you are about to lose four quarters of your life!’


Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov