Fall for Freebies

It has become customary these days for popular commercial brands to offer freebies in order to attract and woe customers. Buy two get one free is often the slogan that goes round the commercial houses, and that is what makes people to rush for them, irrespective of the price tag that these products carry. In fact, our human mentality is such that we would be attracted to the freebies more than the quality of the product or the price tag, which for the most part would be far more than the normal price. And sure enough, manufacturing houses and industries have been making use of the gullible human sensibilities in order to reap a rich harvest of profit and benefit. It is beyond the understanding of common people to think that by going for freebies they are in fact paying much more than their normal price.

Bonus is another such concept which employees often look forward to with keen interest, because this is something that they receive as extra. It is this little bit of extra that can boost their morale and strengthen their commitment to an institution. To come back to freebies, often in the advertisements for products, it is the freebies that take more space, and they are advertised as if as a customer you would receive far more than what you are paying for, and the freebies are given indeed freely. But it does not take us more time to realise that we are most of the time duped by these people. No firm will go all out to give things freely, in incur a great loss in their profit. This is one thing that we need to realise when we are attracted to freebies.

In fact we need to take seriously anything that comes to us as "extra"; unfortunately in many of the countries bribe is an accepted phenomenon, so much so no work will proceed unless you pay that extra under the table! Needless to say in many cases, people think that they are entitled to these extra, which is far more than their official salary or remuneration, because they are either under-paid or they cannot make both ends meet with their salary. We may not even know that any attempt to look for avenues to make a little extra income is the gateway to greed. Even if the chances of being caught are very thin, still one may have to carry the burden of using unlawful means to make a living, will prick one's conscience all through one's life.

Anything free comes with a huge concealed price-tag, though it may not be so very conspicuous at the first sight. But the discerning minds would not fail to notice that 'free' means it has a hidden agenda beneath it, or a hook to trick you. So I am not to be excessively attracted to anything that comes free. After all, why should any one do something for me free of cost, or give something just for nothing! Rarely do we come across persons, who do something good for us or give us something precious out of sheer good will. But in that case, it may not be too hard to find out their hidden motives. Some might do it habitually in order to curry favor in future, and some others may let the small fish be eaten, in order to catch a bigger fish.

Today I pause for a while and see for myself who are the persons whom I make use of for my personal benefit or welfare; or what are the situations and events when I look for 'freebies' to satisfy my own needs, or give away freebies in order to hook someone. Sometimes I am thrown in a situation when it is too hard for me to get anything done through the normal course of action, and it is only giving something under the table which would free me from all unnecessary tension; what am I to do in such situations? To bear the consequences, or just give away something in order to buy peace of mind? It is a hard and bitter choice that we are called to make often in life. But the conflict in the heart is worth going through, so that when it is my turn to give, I don't demand from others what I myself hate to give as a 'gift'!