True Gem

While in a group discussion, a friend of mine who is matured wanted to give advice to a couple who will soon get married. She was telling the couple some good ideas and realistic examples which they at some point have a good probability of running into. It ended in an argument as the couple won’t agree to the advice while she kept on telling her that what she said may happen and that it is just to prepare them. I just kept quite because as the discussion goes, I can see that the couple would not give up protecting what they know and are already closed minded.

Days later, Joel, a friend of mine, told me to read a book he already read and fortunately found something that may halt such arguments. The book is titled Thick face, Black heart by Chin-Ning Chu and this is what it says:

If you have a large, perfect diamond and you take it to the village marketplace, you will have tremendously hard time trying to convince the junk peddlers to give you five dollars for it. However, if you circumvent the village peddlers and the small town shop keepers and go directly to the most reputable diamond dealer in the nation, you would not have to waste your energy attempting to convince him. Your merchandise would speak for itself. You wouldn’t even need to open your mouth, and he might offer you five hundred thousand dollars for it.

If you are a true gem, do not waste your energy trying to undersell yourself to the common village peddlers. You will annoy them and wasted your time. It is much easier to sell valuable goods to those who recognize the value than to those who do not.

I would say that instead of giving realistic advice to peddlers, probably start telling people same fables first. It is like telling peddler the value of a simply stone first, then of copper, silver, and gold. If they already know the value gold, it will then be easy to tell them the value of a more perfect and expensive stone.