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”
Citizens from countries with different road systems are more likely to encounter traffic accidents at crosswalks when visiting other nations. This occurs because their instinctive caution is directed in the wrong way. The complexities of road traffic direction are surprisingly intricate. Traffic patterns are shaped by a blend of historical factors, governing behaviors, technology, and cultural practices. The safety and intricacy of older roads, once shared by horses, carriages, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians, differ completely from today’s well-defined driveways and sidewalks. Consequently, laws establish the directions for crossing streets. When examining the reasons and history behind any rule, it becomes apparent that achieving these conventions is rarely straightforward. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”