WTP

So this thought struck me yesterday. Who are the people I would be willing to die for? I mean in the most gory manner, you know, assuming that in Taliban style, a 12 yr old is going to slit either your throat open or the other person's and you have the chance to decide who it could be. I sat down to make a list and am a little ashamed to report that this list has VERY few names. I was totally sure about giving my life for very, very few people and was a little ambiguous about some others that I otherwise really love. I could include these others into the totally-sure list only if I whipped up some emotional hysteria - but not otherwise...my life seemed so much precious to me if I took a little colder view. Am wondering if its just me who's so selfish? It was a depressing thought so I got back to thinking about WTP.




...Willingness to Pay is a concept that I've loved ever since I first heard it years back in a boring economics class in b-school. Most actions in life are based on evaluating whether you are willing to (happily is the key word here) bear the consequences arising from your actions.

Typically, the higher the WTP, the less stressful your life is since then you dont waste time going around looking for other options which could/would lead you to the same outcome but with significantly more stress/heartburn. And you dont spend time agonizing whether you've paid too much.

For example, if you get into a relationship fully knowing and accepting that you'll be/you should be compromising on some aspects and force yourself to be ok with this, life becomes so much more enjoyable.

Ok, I know real application of WTP is totally different from this but I love how WTP has an effect on one's quality of life. The key is however in keeping your cards close to your chest - thats when you get the biggest bang for your buck, so to say. The other party then also feels happy about having had their way. If one takes the relationship analogy here, agreeing grudgingly to a demand earns you more brownie points (and probably more leeway in the next bone of contention) than conceding without a token show of resistance even if you had decided to agree in the first place.



So anyway, I'm back in Chennai for a few days - this seems to be becoming my 'karambhoomi' for most of April and May. I really want to sleep because of the super early morning flight in but sleeping at 11pm seems to be for squares. I anyway wake up at the same time (20 minutes before leaving for work) so best to keep awake till I can.


From a few years of experience I have seen that colleagues who are especially enthusiastic about flipping open their laptops at the airport, looking busy and important while waiting for the flight to be announced are often the ones who're the least focussed on work. This also applies to colleagues who send official mails much after office hours or early mornings. Somehow productivity increases only after office hours or only at airports/coffee shops. These are also people who refuse to be pinned down to specifics and love to talk 'big-picture' when talking about strategy. Ok I also know genuninely busy people too but then they're consistent about it.




No correlation to the post but these are two eunuchs who had come to our place...the pic was taken after the one in the white sari had banned us from snapping her pics - hence the pissed off look on her face and the giggly look on the other's and the rickshaw-vaala's face:




ps: the joys of a high WTP in its economic sense (and not metaphysical sense) are best explored on an all-inclusive expense account. heh.

pps: if you care about recommendations, DO watch this - it'll leave you rolling - ROFL style: http://endofworld.net/