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”
Non-cash Temperament Assets . Words I made up. Whether you are running a business or making a living, there are situations where money cannot solve everything. Not money or knowledge, but a person’s personality, disposition, intentions, emotions, etc., often shape circumstances and results. No matter how good an idea is, if it is not put into action, it is useless. It takes will and courage to act. Such will, courage, and passion are vital temperaments for tackling areas that money cannot address, and they seem to represent a kind of asset that yields results in accounting. Sometimes, audacity is required to achieve something, along with courage that knowledge alone cannot provide. Our lives cannot be successful solely with money and expertise. Investors should be mindful of the temperament of others . - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”