An SNL video has been circulating the interwebs called Don’t Buy Stuff You Can’t Afford. The title basically says it all: an expert explains the most important rule of personal finance — spend less than you earn.
The funny part is that the people listening to the pitch don’t want to believe it. They’re dying for the finance guru to tell them how to buy everything they want right now.
The joke works because it reflects real behavior. A product can be an obvious scam, but people will rush to buy it because they enjoy believing pleasant lies. People pay for the pleasure of being deceived. For a brief period they can believe in an easy answer. The best part of the purchase is waiting for it to arrive, full of optimism and excitement.
It doesn’t even matter if a lie is particularly convincing or not. As long as it’s appealing there will probably be people desperate enough to cling to it. Our own desire for easy solutions does more to sell a product than the salesman.
To make good decisions it’s important to understand our natural tendency to deceive ourselves. Next time you get excited about something, step back for a second and try to identify the reason. Is it from genuine evidence, or the belief that you’ve finally found that missing puzzle piece that’s been holding you back?
Easy answers are exciting because they remove the burden of responsibility. Great! I don’t need to worry about my problems anymore! All I have to do is wait for the solution to be delivered and follow instructions.
If only life were that easy. Self deception inevitably feeds back into the cycle of disappointment, desperation, and delusion. We’re better off being brutally honest with ourselves.
Action is what we’re really afraid of. It’s uncomfortable and risky. It takes time and it doesn’t always work. But action is the foundational key to all success. Instead of looking for flashy new answers, take the simple ones you already have (they’re probably the best) and start taking action.
[...] Would these people be foolish enough to actually buy a product that promises such a thing? Probably not, since it’s rather self-evident that Google isn’t going to suddenly cut off their only profitable venture by giving their ads away. [...]
Interesting post. I’d seen that video already, it made laugh out loud. It’s amazing the ridiculous stuff people with believe.
Thanks for wasting my time with this incredibly obvious dribble. Duh, people are stupid, especially bloggers. Why don’t you do something productive with your time instead of crowding the internet?
John,
Yes we all need to fight the desire to live in la-la land. Fantasy seems more apealing than reality, but I bet if someone really got his fantasy of having everything he wanted, he’d still be miserable.
I try to do my best to stay grounded in reality. My wife is better at it than me, so she helps keep me in line financially.
Steve,
I think most imaginative people are prone to getting a bit carried away with fantasy. With me, once I get started with an idea it starts to grow and I imagining incredible possibilities. It’s only after my initial enthusiasm wears off that I can really look at a decision objectively.
I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but everyone needs other people as a reference to keep them in touch with reality.
Anon,
I apologize if you think I wasted your time. I know this isn’t the freshest, most exciting idea, but I believe it important to think about the way me make decisions.
[...] John Wesley presents Why Believe the Simple Truth When Lies are more Appealing? posted at Pick the Brain. [...]
[...] John Wesley presents Why Believe the Simple Truth When Lies are more Appealing? posted at Pick the Brain. [...]
Agreed about taking action right away!!! Great post.
Totally agree: http://www.senia.com/2007/03/12/how-to-achieve-anything-in-life/
I agree. There are things that we know that are not true but still we fall for them. One example is discount. Some businesses are just increasing the regular price of their products so that when discount is deducted to the price people will think it’s cheaper when in fact it’s just the same as the regular price.
Very true, Irene. Discounts are usually an illusion.
Carnival of Leadership Development…
Wow, the blog carnival had almost 60 submissions! Here are a selection that will help you in building your career and your personal brand. John Wesley presents Why Believe the Simple Truth When Lies are more Appealing? posted at Pick…
I agree. Imagination is something we should control. I don’t know why we keep on falling for those lies. Some are clear enough, but there is something within us that makes us do it.
Marie,
I think you’re right about there being “something within us” we need to control. I don’t think it’s entirely bad though, our imagination is what allows us to create big dreams and ideals.
[...] A simple review often provides the best answer. We already know the truth, but we’re blinded by routine. Taking a serious look at our behavior makes bad decisions hard to ignore. Asking these questions regularly helps us refine our behavior and every tiny increment of progress takes us closer to the elusive Golden Mean. Tag: philosophyRelated Articles:Why Unmaterialistic People Should Want to Get Rich the MostFocus Better by Listening to Music5 Great Reasons to Learn a Foreign LanguageBen Franklin’s Real Way to Wealth – Part III Conclusion [...]
[...] simple review often provides the best answer. We already know the truth, but we’re blinded by routine. Taking a serious look at our behavior makes bad decisions hard to [...]
There are fortunes being made because gullible people believe that if they wear the same shoes, watch, or clothes as certain celebrities, or drink the same stuff in the same places, their lives will somehow be more glamorous and successful.
And more often than not this definitely means buying things they can’t afford, using store and credit cards that pretend they’ll save them money.
They’d do better imagining how to really improve their lives, rather than which ridiculously expensive handbag will suit them best, but then how would all the marketing and advertising people survive?