“A flattering neighbor is up to no good; he’s
probably planning to take advantage of you.” (Proverbs 29:5 MSG)
A
few months ago, I took the entrance exam to apply for MBA school. In the
process of studying for it, I realized that I don’t really fit the typical MBA profile;
I’m just not that profit-motivated.
This
week, I got a package in the mail. A big box with a stainless steel coffee cup
embossed with the name of the Business School, a bag of gourmet coffee, a
personal note urging me to apply to their program, and a waiver for the
application fee. (The box was twice as big as it needed to be for the contents;
it was mostly filled with black shredded streamers.)
I
have to admit--I was flattered. I haven't had somebody 'woo' me in a few
decades.
Maybe I was mistaken; maybe I am a good
fit for this after all. It sure would impress others. Plus this
school WANTs me...I decided to take another look at their website. Nope, it still didn’t feel like it would be
a good fit.
Then
it dawned on me that being a school of business, they probably had several
students working on 'marketing' for the school. They probably sent this stuff
out to every person that had a decent score on the entrance exam. Colleges make
a great deal of money from their graduate schools. Sending out a $20 box
of merchandise for a possible return of around $30,000 is a good marketing
strategy--and I almost fell for it.
I
will hang on to the cup—hopefully it will serve as a reminder of how I almost sold
my soul for silver? (Technically stainless steel, but 'silver' works better for
this analogy.)
Lessons
learned: Temptations usually come in seductive, ego-boosting packages. Subtle
flattery can be an alluring trap. When someone strokes your ego, there might be
an underlying agenda.
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