When I suggest happiness and not money is the real goal for any company and person, I mostly get worried, or even plainly annoyed looks. Happiness is subjective. Money is objective, right?
Advanced financial valuation methods for example use ‘discount factors’ to transfer the future value of money to the infamous net present value. So what is that discount factor then? Sometimes 4 percent is used, sometimes 20 percent and many more preferenes appear, depending on the valuation context. Don’t worry, better yet: forget, about the advanced mathematics underlying these methods. The choice of just a discount factor is highly subjective. Money value thus is not objective.
Objectvity does not exist. And therefore rationality is impossible. Hilarious and insightful examples are found in books like Predictably-Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality. More of my own experiences I will blog on.
An experiment that will help you convince yourself/others that objectivity does not exist. Line up three buckets (or three cups). The left one filled with cool water (chilled tapwater is fine). The middle one: tap water. The right one should hold warm water (warm that is, not steaming hot!). Roll up your sleeves and stick your arms in the outer buckets (with cups use your index fingers). Wait for 30 seconds. Then simultaneously transfer your arms/fingers to the center bucket/cup. What does your brain register?
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