A 23-year-old Google employee lives in a truck in the company’s parking lot and saves 90% of his income
http://www.businessinsider.sg/google-employee-lives-in-truck-in-parking-lot-2015-10/
28 crazy pictures of micro-apartments around the world
http://www.businessinsider.sg/craziest-microapartments-around-world-2016-9/
It's really amazing what changes in perspective can do. By rethinking and presenting a similar thing differently, everything changes. How people perceive the subject also changes.
In the first article, the topic is how a Google employee stays in a small van with minimal belongings...
He saves up 90% of his income and his story is an inspiration. Well at least the article makes it seem like it's an amazing thing to do.
In the next article, it shows pictures of small units in various cities and makes it seem that the costs of living are increasing and space is lacking. The pictures show cluttered micro apartments with people living in cramped spaces.
This pretty much ties in with my previous post earlier this week. Poverty vs Minimalist?
What is suffering? How much of suffering with within our own minds?
I'm not talking about victims of abuse, or crime. That's a different matter.
Rather, someone who lives minimally could be an inspiration to others to let go of material goods.
"Wow, it would be so nice if I could live simply like him. Live in a van, no worries, I have a job. No rent to pay. A simple and free life."
On the flip side, someone who tries to live in a small place could be seen as suffering and no one wants to follow in his/her footsteps.
"Oh my gosh, the place is so small, I could never live in that. I'll rather move to a countryside and have a big place. There's no reason to squeeze myself in a shoebox."
It's quite amazing right?
How our minds play tricks on us? How presentation changes everything. Just a change of words could change how people perceive something. Are we even able to independently assess situations anymore?
Most of this presentation is only perceived subconsciously. If I read the articles separately, I would have thought exactly what the writer wanted me to think. It was only cos, today, both articles appeared on businessinsider on the same page, then I noticed the stark difference presentation could have.
What chance do we have when marketing targets our subconscious.
How many of us would objectively think, after reading one article...
"Ok so this guy lives in a small place... that's good, but how about the minus points about it?"
How many people actually think from both sides of view?
Not many I would reckon.
That's the difference between data and information.
By right data is not analyzed. It is just raw numbers.
Information is after someone has analyzed and presented the data in a nice way. But once that happens, it becomes biased to the story that the presenter wants to tell.
For example...
--https://upserve.com/resources/the-9-secrets-of-restaurant-menu-design/
Same restaurant, but different menu could make you order different things. That works on your subconscious. You might end up buying a more expensive thing than you would have if presented in a different manner.
Do we have any REAL choice in this matter?
If the storyteller wants you to perceive something, would you think differently? CAN you think differently? Some can, some can't.
I think, realistically, most of us, myself included WILL be fooled many times. And that's ok... usually.
There's nothing really wrong about being "encouraged" to choose the steak as compared to the chicken. I still enjoy the steak. They get more profits. But... nothing really sinister about that.
If I don't know that I'm being fooled, will I be upset?
But what happens when it's done pretty much intentionally to fool consumers?
Like I previously wrote about petrol and RON ratings.
98 RON is not better than 95 RON petrol. But it is marketed as being cleaner and gives more power to your car. 98 RON does not provide more mileage per dollar. And most cars don't need the more expensive petrol.
When we are young, we watch cartoons and the wolf is always the bad guy for wanting to eat the deer. And we might think, yes, it is right to prevent the wolf from eating the deer. But... then what is the wolf supposed to eat?
Well, basically, the storyteller is forcing us to think that the wolf is the perpetrator and the deer is the victim. But if we include a hunter who protects the deer, then isn't the wolf now the victim? Cos the wolf will now go hungry and may die?
How do we know that North Korea is a bad place to live in? Most of us have not been there. We have heard stories. But how do we know if the stories are true? Usually we get information from the media, so how do we know it's not fabricated by the media? There's no real way of telling unless North Korea opens up and we pretty much get to see for ourselves.
So what is real? What is fake? Do we know what to believe? How do we determine we're not being fooled all the time?
Living in a small space might not be bad.
Eating an expensive meal might not be quality.
I think it's really hard to determine what has value, what is important or not. There's a lot of media interference, society interference, expectations from friends and family, a pressure to fit in, if after reading an article and you give an alternative view, some people would think you're a jacka$$. Especially if they wholeheartedly believe in what the article says.
I do think that in truth, we don't have much choices. Not that we cannot choose, but rather, we are heavily influenced, and to break away from the norm takes a very conscious effort, and it's tiring to keep this conscious effort.
So when I think about the first 2 articles, and discuss from both sides, trying to see the truth.
Or when I discuss with my wife what is value in a menu, she asks me, "aren't you tired thinking so much even when just ordering food?"
Or when I do research on what is the appropriate fuel to use for my vehicle, it was very hard to get real info cos so much marketing is provided by the petrol companies.
Yes it is tiring. But it's a habit. And I'd like to be aware of my choices. Maybe I get fooled once in a while. But hopefully I get fooled less...
But my wife is generally a happier person, cos she says, "Don't think so much, you'll be happier"...
So maybe ignorance IS bliss...
Maybe I'm the fool for trying to think so much and be more aware...
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