2.24.2013

Zen Advertisement

Rockamellon: There is, as mentioned before, philosophical discussion.

Socrato: Which we are to distinguish from every day social chats, yes?

Rockamellon: Absolutely.

Socrato: So friends talking about, say business, money and value in the abstract are having a valuable philosophical discussion?

Rockamellon: I should hope you think so, Socrato - for you are spending your time doing just what you have mentioned.

Socrato: The act of doing something does not necessarily convey value upon that thing. I can take off my shoes, balance them on my head for ten seconds, shout loudly and then put them back on my feet. Does that mean it was a valuable thing to do?

Rockamellon: I don't think so.

Socrato: But what if the action becomes the catch phase of a local bakery?

Rockamellon: What do you mean by catch phrase?

Socrato: I mean what if the act of putting one's shoes on one's head and shouting became a way of saying "I love this local bakery and you should too."?

Rockamellon: I suppose it would be an advertisement then, right?

Socrato: Yes. And what if our philosophical discussion became the basis for a book that I could sell to people?

Rockamellon: I'm flattered that you think our discussion might be that interesting.

Socrato: If either of these scenarios is true then things that seem abstract, like shouting and putting shoes on your head or having a philosophical discussion actually do have translatable dollar values.

Rockamellon: But what if the shoe shouting routine wasn't an advertisement?

Socrato: Then it is simply noise, my friend.

Rockamellon: And what if you didn't make a book out of our discussion?

Socrato: It might still have value.

Rockamellon: How is that?

Socrato: Well, you might write a book on it. Or a friend of mine might write a book on it. Or it might influence someone to act in a particular way that has an economic impact.

Rockamellon: And if it didn't do any of those things?

Socrato: If a thing has no impact on the world - then it is merely noise, my friend.

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