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”
Among Marvel characters , I’ve read an article claiming that the most powerful character in a fight is “ Ant-Man .” The reason lies in size. No matter how powerful humans are, dealing with a virus is challenging. The civilization humans have built is a result of a daily life that accommodates this size. Now we are governed by that civilization. My thoughts occur within that context. Even a small crumb of bread is a windfall for an ant. As size changes, so do attributes and happiness. My thoughts are closely connected to the environment around me. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”