What I spend is someone else’s income. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs discussed every morning at breakfast with his family about buying a set of Miele washing machines and dryers from Germany for two weeks. Why? Of course, it was to teach their children about economics and to illustrate a lesson about opportunity cost, a common trait among wealthy people. If you buy this washing machine, you cannot buy that one. That is the opportunity cost. It’s a form of relative value, based on the idea that choosing one option means sacrificing another, so the value of each can be compared within those limits. Wealth begins with training in understanding even trivial opportunity costs. To succeed in business, you need to learn how to measure opportunity cost first, rather than just how to make money. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
One of the purposes of commerce is to build strength. Gaining wealth gives us power, which is the ability to influence others. There are three main types of power: first, power gained through coercion or threats; second, power obtained through payment or inducement; and third, power gained through attraction. The power obtained through coercion, threats, payment, or inducement—that is, force or tactics—is called ‘hard power,’ while the power gained through ‘attraction’ without using force is called ‘soft power.’ Additionally, the ability to effectively achieve your goals using coercion, payment, and attraction is known as ‘smart power.’ Depending on the situation, we may need all three types; however, soft power is something that everyone admires. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”