Agatha Christie could afford a maid and a nanny but not a car

Post by kritiko » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 1:39 PM UTC

dahfizz wrote: post #316

koolba wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haggling is fun. I’m convinced the modern aversion to haggling in first world countries is because people grow up avoiding all direct confrontation. They think it’s somehow how rude to disagree with someone about the price of the article at hand. The next level of it is when they justify this “politeness” by claiming that haggling is inefficient or a waste of time.

Even if haggling is fun for you, it is still a big expenditure of time and effort that accomplishes nothing. There's simply no reason for it to exist.

Post by twox2 » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 1:44 PM UTC

goodpoint wrote: post #315

koolba wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haggling is fun. I’m convinced the modern aversion to haggling in first world countries is because people grow up avoiding all direct confrontation. They think it’s somehow how rude to disagree with someone about the price of the article at hand. The next level of it is when they justify this “politeness” by claiming that haggling is inefficient or a waste of time.

When all sellers and customers haggle it creates a zero-sum game where nothing useful is achieved and everybody is wasting their time. Fun when you do it once, not so fun when is expected every day. A similar zero-sum game is advertising. Yet, some cultures look down on haggling and embrace advertising with open arms...

Post by chaircher » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 1:53 PM UTC

Kye wrote: post #340

igorkraw wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"private property is subordinate to the common good" is even in our "Constitution" (grundgesetz, literally foundational law), although it has been neutered by precedent and other laws. The right of way is a concept which is still strong in a bunch of countries, including England and famously Norway where "Allemansretten" allows "all men" the right to camp in public spaces. I personally find these habitual rights an i…

It's surreal as an American watching a couple of UK photographers on YouTube just stroll through random gates and cross land without any locks or "No Trespassing" signs. Meanwhile, I got a shotgun shoved in my face for walking too close for the comfort of the owner of a house on the other side of a highway's shoulder. I'm pretty sure brandishing is a crime in Georgia, but I was a teen and wasn't about to argue with s…

Post by ben_w » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 2:05 PM UTC

soapdog wrote: post #325

stavros wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does, otherwise they're called immigrants.

That is not how it was taught to me. Expat is when your job moves you to a new country, as in "you're an expatriate employee". Immigrant is when you move for your own reasons. Expats are expected to come back to their original country, or move to a third one at some time. Immigrants are establishing themselves in the new country.

Post by tbrownaw » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 2:07 PM UTC

dahfizz wrote: post #343

kritiko wrote: post #342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Negotiating price is extremely common in corporate environments. If I had to guess what it accomplishes, I’d say building a relationship with your trading partner.

Many / most corporate negotiations are legitimately necessary because every contract being negotiated is unique. Negotiations allow both parties to set terms and come to an agreeable price when there is no preset price. A market vendor who knows an apple should cost $2 but charges $5 in the hopes of screwing over a tourist is just an asshole. I can't imagine how that builds relationships.