Thousands fall prey to rhetoric daily. Whether heard on the radio, seen on TV, or through conversations with a friend. Regardless, there are messages all around us appealing to us in many different ways and influencing what we do and how we think or feel about something, virtually all the time. Sometimes, it is simply due to someone’s assertiveness as they communicate that makes them believable, when in reality they are just great actors, or perhaps a false rumor is retold enough times it creates self-doubt, or we just don’t know any better.
One example of this was during one of my travels to Singapore. Prior to getting off the ship, we were briefed on the country and warned to strictly adhere to the country’s rules, customs and laws. Additionally, there were rumors that an American teenager had been publicly caned for throwing a rock at a car. Afterwards, while walking downtown, there were countless shops and stores selling T-shirts that read “Singapore, a FINE place” listing the dollar amount for the most common infractions – including caning. All of these messages combined incited …show more content…
One argues that one should pay the highest interest/highest balance card first in order to save money; financially speaking, this is a very sound argument. The other approach revolves around paying the lowest balance credit card first, then the next lowest balance card, and so on. This method doesn’t minimize the amount of money saved in interests every month; however, it enables faster short-term goal achievement, by paying off a card sooner. In turn, it generates motivation to stay on track for the next short-term goal. The latter approached appealed best to me. While it is logical to minimize the amount of money we pay on credit card interests each month, the short-term “win” provided the motivation I needed to continue to pay off the rest of my
One example of this was during one of my travels to Singapore. Prior to getting off the ship, we were briefed on the country and warned to strictly adhere to the country’s rules, customs and laws. Additionally, there were rumors that an American teenager had been publicly caned for throwing a rock at a car. Afterwards, while walking downtown, there were countless shops and stores selling T-shirts that read “Singapore, a FINE place” listing the dollar amount for the most common infractions – including caning. All of these messages combined incited …show more content…
One argues that one should pay the highest interest/highest balance card first in order to save money; financially speaking, this is a very sound argument. The other approach revolves around paying the lowest balance credit card first, then the next lowest balance card, and so on. This method doesn’t minimize the amount of money saved in interests every month; however, it enables faster short-term goal achievement, by paying off a card sooner. In turn, it generates motivation to stay on track for the next short-term goal. The latter approached appealed best to me. While it is logical to minimize the amount of money we pay on credit card interests each month, the short-term “win” provided the motivation I needed to continue to pay off the rest of my