Blog/2025-10-24/Bad Apples: Difference between revisions
Created page with "thumb There's a common adage about bad apples that goes like: {{Quote |text=One bad apple spoils the barrel }} The theory is, of course, that a rotting apple release ethylene gas<ref name=ethylene/>, they get infested with bacteria and fungi that spread, and they just slime the rest of the apples which then proceed through the same stages. And the expression is used to illustrate how the..." |
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The theory is, of course, that | The theory is, of course, that rotting apples release ethylene gas<ref name=ethylene/>, they get infested with bacteria and fungi that spread, and they just slime the rest of the apples which then proceed through the same stages. The expression is used to illustrate how the presence of one bad actor on your team can analogously cause the rest of you to become as rotten. Curiously, as the Wikipedia article notes, it is often used in the opposite notion today. Groups of people can generally be considered good save for "a few bad apples". Well, it seems that the latter notion has more reason to be real. | ||
Recently, due to the fact that we have a child and I'm doing a weight loss thing, we've been going to Costco less often and getting larger bags of supplies. Consequently, prior to every trip we lose one apple<ref name=one-bad/> or so in our Envy Apple bags to the rot. The most recent one leaked its rot juice all over the bag and other apples were covered in it. | Recently, due to the fact that we have a child and I'm doing a weight loss thing, we've been going to Costco less often and getting larger bags of supplies. Consequently, prior to every trip we lose one apple<ref name=one-bad/> or so in our Envy Apple bags to the rot. The most recent one leaked its rot juice all over the bag and other apples were covered in it. | ||
Revision as of 08:19, 25 October 2025
There's a common adage about bad apples that goes like:
One bad apple spoils the barrel
The theory is, of course, that rotting apples release ethylene gas[1], they get infested with bacteria and fungi that spread, and they just slime the rest of the apples which then proceed through the same stages. The expression is used to illustrate how the presence of one bad actor on your team can analogously cause the rest of you to become as rotten. Curiously, as the Wikipedia article notes, it is often used in the opposite notion today. Groups of people can generally be considered good save for "a few bad apples". Well, it seems that the latter notion has more reason to be real.
Recently, due to the fact that we have a child and I'm doing a weight loss thing, we've been going to Costco less often and getting larger bags of supplies. Consequently, prior to every trip we lose one apple[2] or so in our Envy Apple bags to the rot. The most recent one leaked its rot juice all over the bag and other apples were covered in it.
I have a habit of biting into apples to find their sickness status so long as they don't look visibly ill, and I am pleased to say that (after washing) each of the neighbouring apples to this apple were not actually rotten. This has happened on three occasions, which is sufficient evidence for me to call it.
It is, in fact, false that one bad apple spoils the bunch. In truth, having a bad apple is fine. The rest go through unscathed.
Notes
- ↑ Which is what everyone counts on to ripen their fruit. In fact, when we get our mangoes here in the US in mango season, they don't ripen on the tree because they are shipped and they wouldn't last if that were to be done. So you add a couple of ripe bananas and the whole thing happens faster.
- ↑ In some sense, this is ideal. If you had many go rotten, you're wasting capacity. If you have none go rotten, you could have gotten more. But exactly one rotten means you have done perfectly.
