It’s not too soon to be thinking about compelling research projects that employ, or uncover, examples of counterintuitive thinking, and I just happen to have been contemplating a couple during all these comments I’ve been writing to your “Invention of Money” prompt responses.
SEAT LICENSING FEES. I understand season tickets to ball games, orchestra series, concert venues, even time-shares. There’s a tangible return for the investment: guaranteed viewing rights or the promise of familiar accommodations. But the “seat licensing fee,” often well into five figures, for the right to continue to purchase season tickets! That’s just magnificent madness. Somebody should be promoted to genius for that concoction and then shot for audacity. Nevertheless, nutty as it seems, for most participants, these turn out to be good investments and truly valuable commodities that can be resold for big profits.
VIRTUAL REAL ESTATE. Understandably, you may have no interest in Second Life, but since we’re talking about the imaginary qualities of money, how about this incomprehensibility? Second-Lifers pay fake “money” to “buy” fake real estate in this entirely fake universe where muscular avatars roam and live out their fake lives. I don’t know much about the mechanics of the transactions, but I do know in recent years real-world investors have started paying real-world currency to buy these fake plots from fake developers who have somehow managed to transcend the ephemeral nature of Second Life and create “value” others are willing to pay for. Can you get a mortgage from a real-world bank to buy them? I don’t know, but it’s worth a research paper.
CERTIFICATES OF AUTHENTICITY. These just seem completely counterintuitive to me. Maybe I’m missing something. I’m shopping for sports memorabilia, say, or “official” NFL gear, a hat, if you will, or a used hockey puck, or a collectible coin. All of these items can be counterfeited, have been counterfeited, are often counterfeited, and people get taken all the time by buying fake items. It’s hard to understand why anyone would care, but who am I to judge? I’m sure I’m just as nutty about something. But, I ask you, how does the Certificate of Authenticity reduce the odds of being ripped off? I mean, really, if you can make a convincing baseball cap, how hard would it be to counterfeit a Certificate of Authenticity? And why does anybody trust that the certificate actually applies to the item it’s packaged with? Interesting enough to investigate?
You’re welcome.
Counterintuitive Fall 2024 