Samsung paid $1bn to Apple in coins - A hoax?

In spite of advancement in technology, we believe absolutely anything posted on facebook. On hindsight, I believed it the moment I saw it, but being a regular cynic, I could not take it as just funny news.

“Samsung paid Apple its $1bn fine by sending more than 30 trucks to Apple's headquarters loaded with nickels [5-cent pieces]".

I was reminded of the day when a friend told me that Kingfisher had plans to replace seats with hammocks in their luxury line of flights. I believed him at first. But then, he tried his luck again by elaborating a little more. Kingfisher plans to install artificial coconut trees to keep the hammocks in place. A bit over the top,even for Vijay Mallya.

Coming back to our news, a clever hoax meant for the casual Facebook visitors.

So why is it a hoax?

First of all, the $1bn is just the jury’s verdict. The judge’s decision hasn’t been announced yet.  So Samsung need not pay $1bn yet. In fact, they should not pay it until judges’ decision is announced.

Number two, every private entity is entitled to decide the acceptable denomination/type of payment for a transaction. For example when you write an exam, they ask us to pay in Demand drafts; you can’t pay them with hard cash. Even if Samsung takes all the effort to pay up the money in coins, apple can neatly say, ‘Come back another day with a cheque.’

Well now you know why being a cynic is good for you…

Why we Gossip ?

Gossip is merely the transfer of information from one person to another. Or is it? What does a person gain by gossiping?

As someone once said, man is by nature a social animal. We are always on the lookout for approvals, and differentiation. Gossip provides them both; approval into a new group, and exclusive news to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the group. Moreover, gossip is the most favorite food of ego. All decorated, and presented on a platter.

Now how can gossip feed ego? What does a gossiper have in his hand? Information, sometimes irrelevant and useless, that is unknown to the listener. Have you ever felt superior when you are the only one with information? Like when you are the one to deliver the news of who was engaged to whom over a lunch to your friends. It is a feeling that you can’t escape even if you are just the bearer of the news. You feel superior at that instant, though momentary, that is something that motivates us to gossip. This sense of superiority is unavoidable when we dole out exclusive information about a third person. Gossip feeds ego with a false sense of superiority.

We are not bothered about the news, nor are we bothered about the people in the news, but only on satisfying our ego by transferring the news. The sense of assimilation to a group through gossiping is not a recent phenomenon. In the ancient world, gossip was more like an icebreaker between tribes otherwise in animosity, and it helped them to sustain and survive without fighting

We always want to feel elated with confidence, but all we end up is with a bloated ego that is as fickle as our life. We feel big when we’ve information, especially exclusive information. Each gossip has its own life cycle; we remain high on ego as long as the gossip is relevant even though the gossip might have spread like a wildfire by then.

What can you do to avoid gossiping? Do you really want to avoid gossiping? If you want yourself to remain high on the ego plane, you may continue gossiping. The price of addiction to imaginary sense of superiority is just a bonus. Awareness that gossiping is merely a false way of boosting your ego in itself is way to turn you back from gossiping.

You can opt to do something that can improve your sense of worth in a constructive route for a lasting effect. For confidence gained through gossiping is like a balloon in a huge box filled with thorns. The wind is keeping you afloat, as soon as the wind stops; you will fall on the thorns and lose your air.

Next time you gossip, remember what you are feeding.