I often wonder about the definition of ‘Enough’ and ask myself: Do people ever get satisfied? And when do we conclude that we have enough?
Or is it a fact that we never have enough?
People who run businesses seem to think that the more profits they make on an item or service, the better for them. They seldom consider that the buyer has to struggle to meet the cost of some items or to obtain their services. And almost everywhere you go, it’s the same.
The consumer is sometimes aware of the original cost price of some items, but due to immediate need, or sometimes, where the business is situated, one considers that one has to have high prices to operate. But in most cases, it’s all about maximum profits, rather than operational costs.
Take, for example, a pound of chicken may be sold for three dollars at a retail outlet, but the vendor or restaurant now reselling sees it fitting to sell one piece for eight bucks.
Likewise, a case of beer may be purchased for one hundred dollars, but the vendor wants double the value at the end of the day.
Same way, I listened to the budget and heard of all the discounted or free services offered to John Public, and despite all the concessions and reduced costs, you still hear people saying that the Government of the day “has done nothing for the people”.
There are so many examples of doubt, misconception and misleading statements that it baffles me.
In some businesses, especially those where specialists are involved (such as the legal or medical, to name a few), the cost associated with the service is astronomical, and those providers seem to care little about how it impacts the ordinary man.
Take, for example, Carnival: The less you wear, the more it costs, and the justification is that it costs millions to provide such activities, but as a carnival participant, I consider that hogwash.
As for the carnival itself, the providers offer booze and plenty of food to give you the impression that they care about your welfare, but you forget most times most of what is provided is usually sponsored or offered at discounted prices, because of bulk purchasing.
Everybody wants to exploit another, and every service provider wants to make a killing, and there is no love in business, only profits. The ordinary people complain about supermarket prices, but when they, in turn, sell you any given item or service, they also apply the same yardstick.
The more some have, the more they seem to want.
A person buys a car for ten thousand dollars, but in turn wants to sell it at double the cost.
You rent a house, but nobody considers the reason you rent is because you cannot afford to get your own, but it matters not. Everybody offers you their services as an employee, but you have to watch their every move because the first chance they get to steal or defraud you, they will.
In some cases, they will even give relevant information to their friends to rip you off, even though you are the one who offers them a lifeline.
Granted, there is a cost to everything, and we are not expected to get anything for free, but it’s not about the cost we should pay; it’s about the astronomical profits that the service provider anticipates.
We have become our worst enemy, and to top it up, we pretend to be friends, family and loving to each other. But we enjoy exploiting others, we enjoy gouging each other’s eyes out, we take pleasure in using and abusing others and in some cases offer substandard work, and we wonder why there is so much discontentment.
I don’t expect such values to change overnight, but for those of us at the purchasing end, we have to be less supportive of all those who expect our support but give no benefits to us.
We are all in this life together, we all feel the pinch of the high cost of living, yet nobody is prepared to ease the squeeze or be considerate. Even purchaser of goods and suppliers of services wants to purchase at the least cost to themselves, but want us to pay top prices for their goods or services. It’s a one-way street; it’s always about them, not us, because their mouth is split differently from ours. And they assume that we are easily fooled because they are smarter than we are.
And for the sidewalk vendors who want to sell their mangoes for top dollars, at least pick them from a tree, not from the ground; and at least, be genuine sales persons and don’t always bluff like all the rest, because we do not mind paying sometimes, but not for poor-quality goods.