man in a hot air balloon A man flying in a hot air balloon realizes he's lost. He lowers the balloon, spots a man down below and shouts, ""Can you help me? I promised a friend I'd meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."" The man below says, ""Yes, you're in a hot air balloon hovering 30 feet above this field, which is at 42 degrees N. latitude and 60 degrees W. longitude."" ""You must be an engineer,"" says the balloonist. ""I am,"" replies the man. ""How did you know?"" ""Well,"" says the balloonist, ""everything you have told me is technically correct but your information is useless and the fact is I am still lost."" The man below says, ""You must be a manager"" ""I am,"" replies the balloonist, ""but how did you know?"" ""Well,"" says the man below, ""you don't know where you are or where you're going. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep and you expect me to solve your problem. And the fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met but now it's somehow my fault.""