Ginsberg's theorem is a parody of the laws of thermodynamics in terms of a person playing a game. The quote was first attributed to the poet Allen Ginsberg in a 1975 issue of the Coevolution Quarterly
It is possible that the quote originates as a slight misstatement of the opening lines of "You Can't Win," by Charlie Smalls, as the copyright date for Small's song is 1974, earlier than the first attribution to Ginsberg.
Theorem
The "theorem" is given as a restatement of the consequences of the first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics:
- You can't win. (consequence of first law of thermodynamics)
- You can't break even. (consequence of second law of thermodynamics)
- You can't even get out of the game. (consequence of third law of thermodynamics)
It is sometimes stated as a general adage without specific reference to the laws of thermodynamics.
References
Ginsberg's theorem Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA