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”
As a result, it is easy to justify a motive or process. Consequently, individuals who distort motives or processes excel at rationalizing their own mistakes and often misrepresent and belittle the original intentions of others. Such a person is adept at criticizing others, lamenting poor outcomes, and frequently exposing an underlying greed for regret . This individual effectively repels assistance from those around them, yet wonders why many betray him or her and depart. They also attempt to overlook the presence of greed at the core of their actions. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”