Monday, November 10, 1997
Wanton Consumer
Lust
by Richard Dressner
(TMF Twitty)
In the grip of passion, all men are Adonis, all women Aphrodite. So it goes with those things we covet, when the blood runs hot and our thoughts are seared by that siren named desire. To sate our need becomes an all-consuming quest.
Settle down, this is an investment forum! I remember reading how a married man remained faithful. Whenever he was really tempted, he imagined how it might turn out. Trying to peer into the future, in a way. That voice that now tinkled like a fresh spring breeze flowing through wind chimes changed to a San Francisco foghorn, the golden blonde hair to coarse straw, those perfect... well, you get the idea.
Inject a bit of reality in that fog of desire. Imagine you get what you seek. Hold it, fondle it, sit in it. If it's a car, drive it for a few weeks. Look down at the carpet (this is in your head, so don't worry about the oncoming traffic). Now look up again. Are you completely comfortable that you can avoid that truck about to eat you for lunch? Whoops! Bad time for that wheel to fall off, oh dear.
Suppose you are after that 1,500 watt stereo you know you can't afford. In your mind, sit down in front of it. Now forget to turn the volume down, and turn the power on. Wheee, look at those speaker cones fly! Wasn't that fun? What's that? You can't hear me?
The point is, as easy as it is to ignore what we don't want to see, we have to trick ourselves into putting it back in the equation. Only then can we make a rational decision. When you pony up the dough, you aren't just buying a new consumable, you are also buying rust, repairs, and other support costs. Try to feel that buyer's remorse before you make the purchase, not after, when it might be too late.
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