It has been my belief that people make decisions based on emotion and justify them with logic. When I bought a Breitling watch back in the year 2000 it cost me 3,500 dollars. I justified it by telling myself that I had a wonderful year in production and therefore I deserved it. Telling time was not even on the radar screen because I had many other watches that could have served that purpose. I gave myself a permission slip to own a status symbol and for a couple of years I identified my success with that watch. Now I enjoy it but my emotional attachment to it has all but disappeared.
Just offhand I can say that my reasoning had no validity, none whatsoever. However let me start with how I arrived at making that decision that I wanted to purchase a Breitling. I had no idea what a Bretiling was until I looked at a collection of watches my friend had. He owned some antique watches from the early part of the 20th century and was mostly of the hand wound variety. He told me that his real desire was to own a Breitling and he showed me some of the models that the company offered. For some reason from that day forward I took his endorsement that this particular watch was the one I had to own. It was a reliable timepiece of course, and even Air Force pilots used some of the models for navigation and obtaining positions via the satellites. This was reason enough for me because I could associate with men that I have always admired, those that flew airplanes. I felt it was a glamorous vocation.
When I thought I either deserved or needed this watch it measured face validity because it measured my desire to acquire it. However it seemed it was not a supportable validity. Unfortunately the emotional reasoning I used in making the decision to buy this expensive item had no construct validity. I suppose however that it had criterion validity for me because it made me feel satisfied. Since this was a unilateral decision there was no other sample for me to measure against except for the feeling that my peers treat themselves in similar fashion. As I sported this watch in the company of my business associates however they barely noticed my pride because they were as self absorbed as I was.
JB-
ReplyDeleteWhich friend inspired you with his watch collection? Does he know he inspired you? I frequently hear of your regret of not having children or having contributed to society. Realize that had you sired children, their needs, financially and otherwise would have
most definitely impinged on purchasing such luxuries. I must also point out that the fact that you have been so successful in your profession to be able to afford such luxuries is evidence that you have most definitely contributed positivelt to more lives than you give yourself credit for.
jb- db here...i too own a breitling...and i am as in love w/ it almost 10 years later as i was on day 1...see, i am not a jewelry type of gal...so a big nice watch...that's what i fancied..and to date, other than my wedding ring..its my only piece of jewelry... i like that no one really expects it and most people don't even know i have it...and thats aok w/ me... i even prefer it that way...too bad they don't make heart rate monitors...
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased that you read my other blogs db. It makes me smile. I had stopped wearing my collection of watches in fact most of them need new batteries. Also one of the ting I like about the Breitling is that it is a self winder and no batteries. It is a watch of distinction for sure and I doubt anyone knows I have it either. As I have gotten older possessions have less and less meaning to me. I think that's because I have gotten the attention late in life that I never received as a child. Sorry I didn't think I would wax on here.
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