I tend to make bets with friends to keep things interesting. It's not like I'm doing it all the time, and it's not like I'm throwing down wads of cash on these bets. Instead, I usually wager punishments or actions. It makes things far more interesting that way, in my mind.
Actually, I remember my high school Econ teacher telling me that this is a logical thing to do. See, he had made a bet about Y2K, for the same reason (yes, that should tell you how old I am). The guy actually bet 10 dollars that the world would end. On the surface, that's a lose-lose proposition: either the world ends and he's out of luck, or the world doesn't blow up, and he's out of 10 dollars. However, my teacher now had a story to tell "at cocktail parties." To him, that was easily worth the 10 dollars, so he was actually coming out ahead (there's an econ lesson about utility in there, which is why it was the topic of that day's class). Basically, he was deriving value from the process outside of the actual terms of the bet.
So, back to my bets. I've got a friend who planned a pretty eventful weekend, including a trip down to SoCal. It sounded like a pretty fun time, but she also happened to be getting over some illness. My thought was, "there's no way she's making it to the office on Monday." So, I told her, "there's no way you're making it to the office on Monday." (I like to keep things simple)
Of course, she immediately told me I was full of crap. In fact, she claimed that she'd drag herself in that day, even if she somehow lost limbs over the weekend. Well, that's mighty big talk. And if you're going to talk the talk, well, I suggest you get some comfy shoes, because you've got some walking to do. I think the deal we more or less agreed on was a ton of teasing if said friend was not in said office on said Monday (the words "ungodly" and "epic amounts" may have been involved).
For my part, I'm putting some skin in the game by blogging about it. Yes, I realize that this means I'm leaving myself open to counter-teasing if I happen to be wrong. By giving me something to lose, though, it makes the game that much more fun. It makes victory sweeter, if you will. More importantly, it adds to the overall amusement in the world, even if some of it has to come at my expense. And I suppose there is also the minor benefit of providing incentive for this friend to stay healthy (I'm half tempted to call that my good deed for the week). But really, that amusement thing is my motivation.
Either way, though, I think I've gotten my value out of the bet. Much like my Econ teacher, I feel like I come out ahead, win or lose. That's not to say I want to be wrong. Far from it, I hope I get to do a little bit of teasing as a result of all of this. I suppose I'll find out tomorrow.
This actually brings me to my last point: guess who actually *wants* to go to work tomorrow? One small bet in exchange for being excited for a Monday morning? I'll take it. And if you want in on this feeling, all you have to do is make a bet. Any takers?
Actually, I remember my high school Econ teacher telling me that this is a logical thing to do. See, he had made a bet about Y2K, for the same reason (yes, that should tell you how old I am). The guy actually bet 10 dollars that the world would end. On the surface, that's a lose-lose proposition: either the world ends and he's out of luck, or the world doesn't blow up, and he's out of 10 dollars. However, my teacher now had a story to tell "at cocktail parties." To him, that was easily worth the 10 dollars, so he was actually coming out ahead (there's an econ lesson about utility in there, which is why it was the topic of that day's class). Basically, he was deriving value from the process outside of the actual terms of the bet.
So, back to my bets. I've got a friend who planned a pretty eventful weekend, including a trip down to SoCal. It sounded like a pretty fun time, but she also happened to be getting over some illness. My thought was, "there's no way she's making it to the office on Monday." So, I told her, "there's no way you're making it to the office on Monday." (I like to keep things simple)
Of course, she immediately told me I was full of crap. In fact, she claimed that she'd drag herself in that day, even if she somehow lost limbs over the weekend. Well, that's mighty big talk. And if you're going to talk the talk, well, I suggest you get some comfy shoes, because you've got some walking to do. I think the deal we more or less agreed on was a ton of teasing if said friend was not in said office on said Monday (the words "ungodly" and "epic amounts" may have been involved).
For my part, I'm putting some skin in the game by blogging about it. Yes, I realize that this means I'm leaving myself open to counter-teasing if I happen to be wrong. By giving me something to lose, though, it makes the game that much more fun. It makes victory sweeter, if you will. More importantly, it adds to the overall amusement in the world, even if some of it has to come at my expense. And I suppose there is also the minor benefit of providing incentive for this friend to stay healthy (I'm half tempted to call that my good deed for the week). But really, that amusement thing is my motivation.
Either way, though, I think I've gotten my value out of the bet. Much like my Econ teacher, I feel like I come out ahead, win or lose. That's not to say I want to be wrong. Far from it, I hope I get to do a little bit of teasing as a result of all of this. I suppose I'll find out tomorrow.
This actually brings me to my last point: guess who actually *wants* to go to work tomorrow? One small bet in exchange for being excited for a Monday morning? I'll take it. And if you want in on this feeling, all you have to do is make a bet. Any takers?
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