[pianotech] More Weird - Must be the full moon<G>

[Ron Nossaman]

On 9/30/2012 1:19 PM, Jim Ialeggio wrote:

> So what went on and continues to go on in consumer's brains??

Shine a flashlight in their ear...


> In an economics class, I remember the look on the lecture hall student's
> faces when after a thorough analysis of market mentality, the professor
> finally said, "nothing has any intrinsic monetary value
> whatsoever...Nothing! Not even gold!... All monetary value is a
> psychological construct having absolutely no meaning in and of itself.

Same with quality, good, evil, morality, honor, truth, or any value. 
It's all artificially defined and imposed by the specific society, 
graded on the curve. There are no value absolutes concerning people.


> So why do they buy this crap? How do you construct the conditions that
> will convince consumers to part with their funds and get such garbage in
> return?

They invent a mystique, telling people they need a certain product to be 
a real and worthwhile person, to get ahead, laid, admired, promoted, or 
whatever. Then they produce a non functional $50 product they can sell 
for $300 because it looks sort of like a more functional product that 
sells for $1200 if you stand back far enough and squint just right. So 
the consumer gets the perception of participation without cost, which is 
the real opiate of the masses, and not only continues to buy, but 
eventually demands junk. Since the social circle they're competing 
within thinks the same way, nothing improves.


>Luckily I still have a few
> customers who either know what they are looking for and will not be
> swayed by the bull, or are looking for a real person who they think can
> get them to the point they want to get to.

Yes, and bless 'em. If anything is worth getting up in the morning, it's 
these folks. There are plenty of techs who brag about their income but 
few who publicly appreciate their customers.


> Interestingly for me, those who can see through the bull are not well
> heeled at all, but rather have to really commit themselves to the
> project in order to come up with the funds required. They are as
> committed to the project... the process and the outcome, as I am

I've found the rich folk have no conception of this, and presume you're 
as dollar oriented as they are.



> ...But put me in the above cynical consumer situation where nothing
> matters but "get it out the door", crap or not, and I'd shrivel up and
> croak...pleasure removed from the experience...what's the point?

Dollars, of course. I've wondered what it must be like to retire with 
millions after a 40 year career of manufacturing paper clips.

Ron N