The better story

 From Life of Pi

Mr. Okamoto: "Yes, that's it. Let's go. Well, Mr. Patel, we have all we need. We thank you very much for your time. You've been very, very helpful."

"You're welcome. But before you go, I'd like to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"The Tsimtsum sank on July 2nd, 1977."

"Yes."

"And I arrived on the coast of Mexico, the sole human survivor of the Tsimtsum, on February 14th, 1978."

"That's right."

"I told you two stories that account for the 227 days in between."

"Yes, you did."

"Neither makes a factual difference to you."

"That's true."

"You can't prove which story is true and which is not. You must take my word for it."

"I guess so."

"In both stories the ship sinks, my entire family dies, and I suffer."

"Yes, that's true."

"So tell me, since it makes no factual difference to you and you can't prove the question either way, which story do you prefer? Which is the better story, the story with the animals or the story without the animals?"

Mr. Okamoto: "That's an interesting question..."

Mr. Chiba: "The story with animals."

Mr. Okamoto: Yes. The story with the animals is the better story."

Pi Patel: "Thank you. And so it goes with God."