Operation Inspiration
Recently, I gave a complete stranger a stock tip and she was very appreciative. To be fair, the only expertise I have in “the market,” is the kind with produce sections and shopping carts. Indeed, the “stock” tip I gave the woman had to do with an item on the shelves of just such an establishment.
While visiting another city than where I call home, my wife sent me to the supermarket to purchase eggs. Well, in that particular part of the country, I found eggs to be prohibitively “eggs-pensive,” which made me think twice before just grabbing any container.
I saw eggs ranging from packs of 6 to packs of 18, with prices ranging from $2.50 to $5.19. I found brown eggs, medium eggs, extra-large eggs, and was unsure of what to buy. As I crunched the numbers in my head (thanks Mom!) I tried to figure out the best value. Then I noticed that another brand of eggs, which are normally more expensive due to the hens’ special vegetarian diet and increased vitamins and shelf-life, was on sale. A carton of eighteen eggs was about the same price as a dozen of the store brand. I took it.
Then, I noticed a woman walk over to the refrigerator with the eggs and begin to do the same dance I’d just done. I assume that her grandfather hadn’t been an accountant and her mother didn’t make her do math in her head, because she didn’t seem to know what to pick. As she picked up a dozen eggs that cost more than the eighteen I’d picked up, I gave her a tip. “These are on sale and are a better value.”
“Thank you so much,” she exclaimed. “I’m a terrible shopper. You just saved me money.” I wasn’t familiar with the term, “terrible shopper,” as the women in my life seem to be very good at it, though the “not saving money” part I could relate to.
The point of this story, however, is not whether someone is a savvy shopper, but rather if they’re smart enough to learn from someone who is savvier than they are. In this case, the woman was aware of her mathematical shortfall and because she acknowledged that someone else had more information than she did, she was able to benefit from their knowledge. In that case, I’d like to suggest that she was a better shopper than she realized.
You see, the people who think they know everything can easily be fooled. That’s because it’s impossible to know everything and there’s most often a perspective you don’t have. The people who feel that no one has anything to teach them anything often end up learning at the school of hard knocks, as they are forced to experience the negative outcomes they might have avoided had they been open to input from others.
Now, if you’re sitting there reading this, and thinking to yourself, “This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” please stand up and take a bow so my other readers can have an example of what I’m saying. It’s people who think I’m way off base that have a hard time learning from others. I’m fine with learning from others because I know how easy it is to be wrong. That’s why I listen and try to learn from others, just like this woman did.
Then, there’s the flip side of the coin. When you have knowledge that can help others, you shouldn’t be afraid to share it with them. I could have said, “I don’t know this woman, I won’t say anything.” Instead, I offered helpful insight, and she saw a Jewish-looking person being nice, friendly, and treating her with respect. Wouldn’t it have been a missed opportunity to simply keep my knowledge to myself?
If you see someone come into shul who looks like they’re visiting, you could keep your nose in the siddur. Or, you could try to help them find a seat where they won’t be ousted by a possessive person who comes late but insists on having “their” seat.
I’ve often been asked in stores, “Do you work here?” Sometimes they don’t even ask if I do and instead just ask, “Where can I find peanut butter?” or the like. Instead of indignantly replying that I don’t work at the store, I’ll say something like, “What can I help you find?” or “I think it’s down aisle 6 on the right-hand side.” If you can help someone, do it. It’s the way of the Torah to be pleasant, and this is a great way to fulfill that.
So take a tip from me, and make the investment in others. Yes, sometimes you’ll get burned or take a loss, but most of the time you’ll get a better return than you could have imagined.
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