Money,
The Poverty of Riches
25/03/10 15:45
I was seated on a plane next to a man from South Africa, who was returning home after vacationing in America. Curious as to what impressions he was taking away from his visit, I asked him what he thought of our country. To my surprise, he said, "You Americans lack for nothing, except contentment."
"What do mean by that?" I asked.
"Well," he said, "let me put it to you this way. When I arrived in America after a long flight, I went to a shop in the airport terminal for a cup of coffee. Right away, the waitress presented me with two choices, 'Regular or decaf?'
"I said I'd take regular.
"'She nodded and asked, 'You want that with cream, half 'n half or skim milk?'
"'Cream,' I replied.
"'Do you want sugar, brown sugar, Sweet 'N low or honey?' she said.
Now that was nine choices, nine buying decisions, before I'd had my morning cup of coffee. That's what I mean when I say you lack for nothing."
"And that's a good thing, isn't it?" I volunteered.
"Maybe not," he replied. "The way I see it, when you are presented with a wide range of choices, it's easy to get confused. You may fail to appreciate the value - - or the consequences - - of any single choice because, if that choice isn't satisfactory, you can discard it and choose another one. There's always more where it came from. In fact, the availability of so many choices with so many features can create a desire that no one choice can satisfy. The abundance can leave you feeling impoverished."
"You must have been in a Starbucks," I joked. But he didn't smile.
"It isn't just coffee we're talking about," he said. "You can see the overabundance everywhere you look in America. Look at all the cereal brands lining the shelves of your supermarkets. Look at all the brands of sneakers on sale at Foot Locker. Look at all the makes and models of cars on your roads."
"Consumer choice is the bedrock of our economy," I said.
"Yes," he replied. "but all those choices foster impulse buying, a trial and error approach that assumes you can always make another choice. That works fine when we're talking about something as inconsequential as a cup of coffee or a breakfast cereal. But when you start to approach bigger decisions that way, the consequences can be serious and there may not be a chance to recoup from a bad decision."
He was right, of course, and many homebuyers have learned that bitter lesson to their great regret. When making important financial decisions, we have to think things through and pray for heavenly guidance.
In the final analysis, the things of this world can never satisfy us for as Saint Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless, until they find rest in Thee."
"What do mean by that?" I asked.
"Well," he said, "let me put it to you this way. When I arrived in America after a long flight, I went to a shop in the airport terminal for a cup of coffee. Right away, the waitress presented me with two choices, 'Regular or decaf?'
"I said I'd take regular.
"'She nodded and asked, 'You want that with cream, half 'n half or skim milk?'
"'Cream,' I replied.
"'Do you want sugar, brown sugar, Sweet 'N low or honey?' she said.
Now that was nine choices, nine buying decisions, before I'd had my morning cup of coffee. That's what I mean when I say you lack for nothing."
"And that's a good thing, isn't it?" I volunteered.
"Maybe not," he replied. "The way I see it, when you are presented with a wide range of choices, it's easy to get confused. You may fail to appreciate the value - - or the consequences - - of any single choice because, if that choice isn't satisfactory, you can discard it and choose another one. There's always more where it came from. In fact, the availability of so many choices with so many features can create a desire that no one choice can satisfy. The abundance can leave you feeling impoverished."
"You must have been in a Starbucks," I joked. But he didn't smile.
"It isn't just coffee we're talking about," he said. "You can see the overabundance everywhere you look in America. Look at all the cereal brands lining the shelves of your supermarkets. Look at all the brands of sneakers on sale at Foot Locker. Look at all the makes and models of cars on your roads."
"Consumer choice is the bedrock of our economy," I said.
"Yes," he replied. "but all those choices foster impulse buying, a trial and error approach that assumes you can always make another choice. That works fine when we're talking about something as inconsequential as a cup of coffee or a breakfast cereal. But when you start to approach bigger decisions that way, the consequences can be serious and there may not be a chance to recoup from a bad decision."
He was right, of course, and many homebuyers have learned that bitter lesson to their great regret. When making important financial decisions, we have to think things through and pray for heavenly guidance.
In the final analysis, the things of this world can never satisfy us for as Saint Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless, until they find rest in Thee."
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