The relativity of values causes us to use money irrationally. I go to the supermarket to buy a $15 pen, and the clerk smiles and says, “You can buy this pen for $7 if you walk 5 minutes from here.” Then, most people walk five minutes and buy a $15 pen for $7. But if you want to buy a $1,000 jacket and the clerk smiles and says, “You can get a $992 jacket in five minutes from here,” most people simply buy the $1,000 jacket. Reasonably, walking for 5 minutes equals the effort, and the profit of $8 is the same. However, people might go to a store that sells pens cheaper, but not for the jacket, because the discount rate is too low. In other words, the relativity of comparing values makes us act irrationally. The pen’s discount rate is 55%, and the jacket’s is only 0.8%. Yet, the total amount is the same for all $8, and the effort to gain that profit is identical. Attitudes and misconceptions about consumption influence how we build wealth. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Originally, the Louis Vuitton suitcase had no wheels. The ancient journey was the exclusive possession of the nobility and the rich. It was hard to go alone because there was a lot of luggage to travel with, so it was usually possible for people who could handle servants. Therefore, there was no need for wheels in the bag then. Popularized travel is a product of the late 20th century. When we look at the wheel of a suitcase, we have to be able to look at history and class together. And we should be able to see the essence of luxury goods. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”