The seenand the unseen

A shopkeeper has saved $6 for new shoes. His window breaks, and fixing it costs just as much.

If the glass breaks

Worn shoes

With the breakage, the $6 pay the glazier and the shopkeeper keeps his worn shoes. Without it, the same $6 would have paid the shoemaker: the shopkeeper would have his intact window and new shoes.

Inspired by What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen, by Frédéric Bastiat, 1850

The seenand the unseen

If the glass breaks

If the glass stays intact