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”
For leadership to be good, one must always grow up with self-objectivity and self-verification. It refers to admitting when something is wrong immediately and changing direction and attitude. However, this meta-recognition property presents a significant obstacle to leadership. People tend to follow a leader who sides with them rather than one who possesses exemplary character and ability. The more reasonable the leaders are, the easier it is to overlook this phenomenon, and the more likely they are to make enemies in the process of making sensible and correct decisions. This raises the question: do you need to be a good leader? Not necessarily. The basic rule is not to use an inflexible yardstick. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”