# [[Inflated Prices and Priorities]] #Society #Materialism #Economy #Values #Lebanon #Critique Let's take a quick look at these prices:<br> ![[restaurantmenu.png|300]] small water 3,250LL. Market price: 350 .. 500 LL Large Water 5,750LL. Market price 750 .. 1000LL Redbull: 11,750LL. Market Price: 2,000 LL Etc .. Why do people in all their mental capacity accept paying this much for for these and many more items? Is is the social pressure? Your conformity and fear of being looked down at results in these inflated prices. I've traveled to many places, and I rarely saw places with such inflated prices. Mostly because these places would go out of business. But unfortunately, in Lebanon, the higher the prices, the more the customers. Because hey, we are not cheap. And the sad part is when these same people pay all this premium, and then haggle small shop owners over a dollar or two. Yes, I know that there are options, and if I can't afford them, I shouldn't go there. Bla bla. But what I'm criticising is the superficial materialistic mentality, not the prices themselves. Why do we pay this much, and then nag that the driving tickets are expensive? Why do we pay this much, and then nag that the mobile bills are expensive? Why do we pay this much, and then nag that our universities are expensive? Why do we pay this much, and then nag that our hospitals are expensive? Some Lebanese people pay 50,000 for their arguile, with a smile. But when their medicine increases in price, or the university increases tuition? .... Time for a demonstration. Our priorities are weird. > [!multi-column] > >>[!seealso] Related Thoughts >> > >> [!idea] Related Videos >> Published: June 20, 2017