The pen, the promise and the illusion

A CEO, a lawyer and a consultant along with other members of the board are stuck in a boardroom for hours trying to negotiate who gets the last company pen.

CEO: I should get it. I sign multi-crore-rupee deals.

Lawyer: I should get it. I draft contracts worth billions.


The consultant smirks, takes the pen, and says, 'I'll rent it to both of you at ₹20,000 an hour.' The CEO and lawyer nod, 'Fair deal.'

Moral: In corporate negotiations, the person who creates the problem usually profits the most.

Going Away/Getting Out

An election candidate promises: 'If elected, everyone will get free transportation anywhere in the world!' After winning, he mails citizens a pair of roller skates.

One man asks, 'How do I get to Bangkok with these?' The official replies, 'Start skating east. Don't stop.' Months later, highways are jammed with people in roller skates, waving passports, and eating samosas and sandwiches on the go.

The politician proudly announces: 'International travel has never been so up and smooth!'

Confidence Trick

A student asks a professor: Why do central banks cut rates during crises?

Professor: To stimulate demand.

Student: But if everyone's broke, won't they just borrow cheap money to stay broke more comfortably?

Professor: Yes, but they'll do it with confidence. And confidence is priceless.

Student: So, basically, we're paying for optimism with debt?

Professor: Congratulations, you've understood modern economics.