Galaxy: Out Of This World

I couldn’t even try to tell you how many times my father has gotten home with something new to show me. The “latest” technology or the best.

Last night he came in and he had the new Samsung Galaxy III, I didn’t understand, he had had the same iPhone for the past two years and he just suddenly decided to change it.

I was really wondering what had made him do it.

He said he had seen an advertisement in YouTube The Next Big Thing is Already Here. It is a commercial in which Samsung says all the good things this phone has but that the iPhone doesn’t.

He also said that when he went to Movistar to change for the iPhone 5 the salesmen had totally convinced him that the Samsung was better. (it was more expensive of course = more commission for him)

A few weeks ago he had seen me reading Thank You For Arguing, and I said if he remembered, he said yes.

I told him that this is a classic salesman technique “lying in a Mean”(176).

It doesn’t necessarily mean that the Samsung is better, it is just better for the salesman in a way.  You are always going to have many choices when you go inside any store, but it takes a really good salesman to sell you the most expensive thing there is and make you feel great about doing it“choices the persuader makes, or those he tries to sell you on”(176).

Phronesis, wow, big word right there.  It’s just practical wisdom so don’t get so tensed up! Disinterest and virtue are not the only techniques for salesmen in persuasion, if you want your point to stick you should use some other kinds of methods. Like the “that depends”(183). My personal favorite is the comparable experience you always have an easy way for this one, even if it’s not true or even if you alter a little what in fact happened.

Something that might have happened when my dad was buying his new phone:

Dad: Yes but how do I know this is better than the iPhone?

Salesman: Well, personally (key point there) I used to have the iPhone and now I have the Galaxy and I like it so much better because… (bla bla bla).