May 27, 2009

Penultimate Cookie Mirage

The Penultimate Cookie Mirage occurs when one thinks they have just eaten the next to last cookie in a bag of cookies, but have in fact eaten the last one. Once this fact is discovered, the affected individual will suffer from significant emotional distress. Typically, an individual must mentally prepare themselves for exhausting all the cookies by properly savoring the last one. Failure to do so results in the perception that the last cookie was “wasted.”

The Penultimate Cookie Mirage almost always occurs when one’s attention is divided, such as watching TV or reading a book. In this scenario, the individual is blindly reaching for cookies and therefore prone to Cookie Counting Errors (CCEs). The penultimate cookie mirage is not limited to cookies, but can also be observed with other treats such as M&Ms.

Expert snackers have been observed setting aside the last cookie in advance of when the Penultimate Cookie Mirage is likely to occur.