I am many things, but let me say what I am not; I am not an idealist. I am not a perfectionist. What I am is a realist.
Furthermore, it is important for me to explain what I do for living. I observe people and environment for a living. Yes, I am in sales, but sales is only a profession. I need to observe people, listen to the words they said, study their body languages, in order to make a successful pitch. So I spend a lot of time studying people.
I am going to write a 3 part (or maybe 2) entries about my observation about people, or rather, human beings, after years of observation. Some of you might disagree with what I had to say, but let me be clear that this is only my opinion and the results of my observation. So if you disagree with what I got to say, feel free to rip the comment page apart.
From my observation, it is safe (for me, at least) to say that everyone has a price. Your prices differ from person, and that’s is called the perceived price. Some people might price you high, but you might be worthless to some.
The price I am talking about here is different from value. You might be very valuable, but the price might not reflect what you are valued at, and the price is not a must to be reflected in dollar sign. It can be anything, like a person, a dog, or a car.
A good example is your work. You might be valuable to the company, but you are only paid 3000 a month. So 3000 a month is your price to your boss. But do you value only 3000 a month to the company? Of course not. You might valued at 300,000 a month, but that is your value, not your price.
It applies in friendship as well. For example, when you are doing a partnership business with a friend, things might go well at first, like when the business is small. Suddenly, there is this 500,000 dollars worth of deal coming in, and your friend(s) might try different tricks to snatch the deal away to put the money into their own pocket. Now, your friend(s) price is 500,000 because that is how much you need to see his/her real colors, and that is exactly how much he/she is worth. Or how about if one day you are financially in needs, and your friend loaned you 2,000. Now, after just 2 days, this friend kept calling you, sending nasty SMS’s when you couldn’t answer his phone call because you were in meeting. So this friend is priced at 2,000, not any higher than that.
So you think the price thing is not applicable in a relationship?
Think carefully. Nothing can escape the price-valuation.
Imagine, when two person are in a relationship, everything should be beautiful. But then, one day, you decided that you don’t love this person anymore. Let me give a metaphor; if he cheated on you, you dump him. Now, the price of this relationship is his loyalty. Or how about he got fired from a job and he can’t land a job within 12 months, so he got to depend on your income. One day, you decided enough is enough, so you end the relationship. So what’s his price? His price is your salary, because you can’t share it. Or his price is his salary, because he should earn enough to sustain himself and you. Or the price is a Gucci bag, because you always wanted it and he couldn’t buy it for you since he was out of job, so you got really upset and dump him.
Or how about family, you might say. Nope, still cannot escape the price-valuation.
Look around you, how many stories have you heard about son-suing-parents or vice-versa when it comes to wealth inheritance? Or how about brother literally strangling the siblings just because of some money?
Now, you might think that someone who is filthy rich, like Bill Gates, will be exceptional case where there is no price for him. Guess what? He may be super duper filthy rich, but he still has a price. His price could be his offspring where he could forgo of his business or fortune when someone keep his son hostage, or betray his friends and family.
For some unfortunate, like those being assassinated case, the price of the person’s life is the cost of the bullet, or rather, how much the assassin is being paid.
And that’s why I said everyone has a price.
For me, I have very high price for some in my life, but for others, I am worthless. I always observe what the people around me think my price is, and when I become worthless to that person, that person will just, er.. let me try to put it in a nice phrase, “forget about me as a friend”. Sometimes they might say something sarcastic, or display a body language that is really defensive. Some said it without thinking, but from what I do for a living, I can detect the detest easily.
I won’t blame them, because I am a realist. I think about the reason, be realistic, and understand why they did certain things to me, and then I move on.
Do I hold any grudges against them?
Nope, that’s just how things are in life. There are things that we cannot change, and things do happen for a reason. So yeah, I move on, and continue my friendship with someone who still think I am worth something.
So, what’s your price?
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