We pay for the story that comes with it

Most of what we want has little to do with what we need. Often it is nearly the same as something we already own.

A girl in Riyadh asks for the chocolate bar with the green pistachio middle, the one her friends keep filming as they break it in half. It costs several times more than the bar beside it. At home there is milk chocolate in the fridge and a bag of pistachios in the cupboard.

She is not short of chocolate. She is short of the story that comes with this one.

That is how most wanting works. It rarely starts from an empty cupboard. It starts from watching other people enjoy something, or hearing everyone around us talk about it, and wanting to join in.

So the shortage we feel is usually not real. The thing itself is easy to find. What feels scarce is being included.

If you sell something, this is worth knowing. People are rarely buying what your product does. They are buying the story it lets them join, and they will pay a lot for a small difference when the story is good.

If you are the one buying, it is worth a pause. Before you pay, ask what you are actually short of.

Most of the time, you already have the thing. What you want is the story.