Perceived Values

Xiaomi: 45 BIllion.

Air Asia stocks: tanking

You and I: questionable.

We are living in an Age of instant and constant valuation of anything and everything, thanks to Big Data.

A speech is now a one-liner.

A log book a blog.

And what’s real is now virtual (people stay single more, perhaps due to porn).

We are not required to dwell deep on anything for time will undo everything (remember Rome?).

But you can stretch your perceived values: Taken, Taken 2, Taken 3. As long as the public memory still fades (and it does so often), you can redress and re-release the merchandise (in some instances, slashing on a higher price might help push the goods).

If we can graphically depict wealth distribution, it would take on a sperm-like shape with those 1-per-centers constituting the head, and the Rest (which include Ebola-ridden countries, Nigerian war lords, ISIS, Air Asia and the usual misfortune and miserable).

That’s the world we are living in, sharing resources with and celebrating New Year together (the US is bidding for the Olympics which other nations said “No Thanks”).

Perceived Values.

It used to be honorable and valuable to have won an Olympic bid. It purportedly brings tourist dollars to the town.

Now, even that is questionable, after Brazil.

Tourists are looking out for themselves and their pocket books.

Cheaper destinations: Eastern Europe in the 90’s, Vietnam in the 2000’s, and perhaps Cuba in the coming decade.

Because you can’t control others’ perception, you would need to work at branding one strand at a time. Waiting for the right moment for re-release.. China, Vietnam, Eastern Europe, Mid-East, and then Cuba. Destinations formerly perceived as negative , now common household words. Maybe there is hope for Nixon, for torture, for citizen surveillance and cyber-attacks.

They were after all tactics. Tactics can change. Just as values, can be re-perceived, by design. Keep those antiques. They might come in handy some day, when their perceived values go up. You and I, friendship and its associated costs: still questionable. We are just doing time on Spaceship Earth. Up to us to assign a value to our sojourning. In fact, the actuaries were already hard at work to “price” it out: Xiaomi – 45B, for now. Air Asia, tanking.