The other day I caught 5 minutes of a programme about tricks of the trade of running a restaurant. They described one ploy used that works every time. This is how it goes :
The kitchen has an excess of a particular course - say it is "ham hock" or "fish pie"!
An instruction goes out to front of house who are taking the orders. The instruction is - tell the ordering customers the "fish pie" is running out fast or there are only 3 "ham hocks" left.
Almost always the numbers ordered of these dishes increase.
Why is that - what does it say about human nature?
My own view is this is just another (albeit a simple ) example of the correctness of Darwinian theory - the survival of the fittest. Life is a competition. The driver - mankind is essentially greedy in nature - part of mankind's DNA. Take the opportunity while you can. People are ultimately driven by a motive not to miss out - to grab it for themselves or offspring.
Here is a suggestion. Clearly there are many refugees fleeing war zones and seeking a place of safety (they justify our help and support). However there are more and more "economic" migrants trying to get to the West too. I am suggesting the motivation of these economic migrants is the same sort of base human motivation that the restaurateurs are tapping into. My neighbour is off to the West. I might miss out. I am going too. And so the numbers swell and grow and grow until a crowd mass hysteria develops.
The UK government is right. Let in the economic migrants at Calais for instance and the numbers trying to get in are bound to increase. Ask Germany. Look at what their stance has actually created. It won't be long before half the world is trying to get to Europe if it is not planning it already. The answer needs to be there are NO "ham hocks" left - in fact the restaurant is closed! This might seem uncaring, unsympathetic towards the needs of our fellow man. However the reality is he wants what you have and he will take it at your expense if you let him. This is the harsh truth - we are all animals after all.
The kitchen has an excess of a particular course - say it is "ham hock" or "fish pie"!
An instruction goes out to front of house who are taking the orders. The instruction is - tell the ordering customers the "fish pie" is running out fast or there are only 3 "ham hocks" left.
Almost always the numbers ordered of these dishes increase.
Why is that - what does it say about human nature?
My own view is this is just another (albeit a simple ) example of the correctness of Darwinian theory - the survival of the fittest. Life is a competition. The driver - mankind is essentially greedy in nature - part of mankind's DNA. Take the opportunity while you can. People are ultimately driven by a motive not to miss out - to grab it for themselves or offspring.
Here is a suggestion. Clearly there are many refugees fleeing war zones and seeking a place of safety (they justify our help and support). However there are more and more "economic" migrants trying to get to the West too. I am suggesting the motivation of these economic migrants is the same sort of base human motivation that the restaurateurs are tapping into. My neighbour is off to the West. I might miss out. I am going too. And so the numbers swell and grow and grow until a crowd mass hysteria develops.
The UK government is right. Let in the economic migrants at Calais for instance and the numbers trying to get in are bound to increase. Ask Germany. Look at what their stance has actually created. It won't be long before half the world is trying to get to Europe if it is not planning it already. The answer needs to be there are NO "ham hocks" left - in fact the restaurant is closed! This might seem uncaring, unsympathetic towards the needs of our fellow man. However the reality is he wants what you have and he will take it at your expense if you let him. This is the harsh truth - we are all animals after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment